ATP Tour

Two-time champion Ruud makes winning return in Gstaad

Casper Ruud made a winning return to Tour on Wednesday at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad, where the two-time champion moved past Swiss wild card Dominic Stricker 7-5, 7-6(6) to reach the quarter-finals.

Competing for the first time since his second-round exit at Roland Garros, the Norwegian struck 28 winners and saved two set points in the second set, rallying from 4/6 in the tie-break to eventually advance after one hour and 46 minutes. Ruud is 1-1 against Stricker in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

"It was a very tough match against Dominic. We have played one time before. Of course I was seeking some revenge but he is a really good player, a young player," Ruud said in his on-court interview. "He plays aggressive, fearless and I knew I had to be on it from the beginning. This is my first match in a few weeks and I am happy to be back."

The top seed Ruud has fond memories at the ATP 250 clay-court event in Gstaad, where he lifted the trophy in 2021 and 2022. The No. 13 player in the PIF ATP Rankings holds a perfect 9-0 record at the event, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss index, and will next meet Juan Manuel Cerundolo or David Goffin.

Rudd, ninth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, is seeking his second title of the season after winning his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown in Madrid.

In other action, Peruvian qualifier Ignacio Buse downed Pole Kamil Majchrzak 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 to reach his first tour-level quarter-final. The 21-year-old is the youngest Peruvian to reach the last eight at a tour-level event since Alejandro Aramburu in Bari in 1989.

Buse will next play Roman Andres Burruchaga after the Argentine beat German lucky loser Patrick Zahraj 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.