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World No. 8 Casper Ruud admitted he didn't think his first Masters final would come on a hard court but added it's still a great feeling to reach the Miami final. On Friday, Ruud saw off world No. 103 Francisco Cerundolo 6-4 6-1 in the Miami semifinal.
Ruud is a seven-time ATP champion but only one of those seven titles came outside clay. Ruud, who is slowly becoming a dominant force on clay, is showing in Miami that he is also capable of playing well outside clay. “It was not where I imagine myself playing my first Masters 1000 final [on a hard court], but I will take it,” Ruud said in his on-court interview, per the ATP Tour website.
“It is a great feeling and I am enjoying the city and the tournament. It was pretty brutal today. Very humid, which made the breathing a little tough”.
Ruud was determined not to blow his chance
Prior to Miami, Ruud was 0-3 in Masters semifinals.
“It is a great feeling. I am standing here smiling,” Ruud said. “I have had three tough loses in my previous Masters [1000] semi-finals and I thought today was a good chance to reach my first final. I started a little shaky but I was able to pull through and raise my level when I really needed to”.
Cerundolo started the match with a break but his lead was short-lived as Ruud broke back in the second game. Ruud then earned his second break in the 10th game, to seal the first set. Cerundolo had a chance to make a good start to the second set but he missed out on two break points in the first game and also blew two break points in the third game.
Cerundolo paid the price for blowing four break points as Ruud broke the Argentine in the fourth and sixth game to book a straight-set win. Ruud plays in the final either Carlos Alcaraz or Hubert Hurkacz.