Casper Ruud faced a challenging beginning in Stockholm at the Nordic Open but ultimately secured a victory against Marin Cilic, winning 7-6(2), 6-4. The second seed, currently ranked eleventh in the Race to Turin, expressed relief and satisfaction following his triumph. Ruud, who reached the ATP Finals in 2022, understands the importance of strong performances over the coming weeks to enhance his chances of qualifying once more, requiring both good results from himself and minor slip-ups from players ranked higher.
The Norwegian initially struggled, falling behind 1-4 in the match before regrouping to dominate the latter stages. “It was a good match, I’m very happy,” Ruud noted, reflecting on his one hour and fifty-minute battle. He maintained an undefeated record against Cilic, showcasing his ability to adapt and find his rhythm under pressure.
In another first-round matchup, third seed Denis Shapovalov, a past champion in Stockholm, was pushed to his limits by Leo Borg, the young Swedish wildcard and son of tennis legend Bjorn Borg. In a gripping three-set encounter, Shapovalov narrowly escaped, winning 6-2, 5-7, 6-1. Despite his victory, Shapovalov remains unqualified for the upcoming Turin Finals, ranked 24th in the Race.
Additionally, Sebastian Korda delivered a notable performance, defeating Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak in a tightly contested match that lasted over two hours, with a final score of 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. Korda’s strong service game in the deciding set, where he dropped just four points on serve, marked his 100th victory on hard courts.
The day’s play concluded with Lorenzo Sonego advancing past Britain’s Arthur Fery in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, to set up a second-round meeting against American Aleksandar Kovecevic. Kovecevic’s route to this matchup was aided by a retirement from eighth seed Camilo Ugo Carabelli due to injury while trailing in their match. Lastly, Marton Fucsovics claimed a straightforward win over Jesper de Jong, 6-1, 6-2, and is now set to face top seed and defending champion Holger Rune in the next round.
