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Top-seeded Casper Ruud ended his dominant week in Bastad with another straight-set win and he was thrilled to win it all at the Swedish ATP 250 event. Ruud, ranked at No. 16 in the world, beat world No. 77 Federico Coria 6-3 6-3 in the Bastad final.
Ruud, who was playing in his second final of the season, now has won two titles this year. En route to winning Bastad, Ruud also beat Holger Rune and Roberto Carballes Baena. Ruud had a first round bye at the tournament and he was given a walkover by Henri Laaksonen in the quarterfinal.
“It was an incredible week, maybe the best week of my life,” Ruud said. “It is an incredible feeling playing here in Bastad with the Swedish, Norwegian and Danish support. There is nothing like that home crowd feeling.
“To win here means a lot. You get a little extra nervous as the No. 1 seed. Me and my father [former World No. 39 Christian Ruud] have been joking about when I am going to beat him at this and this, and now I think I have beaten him in everything!
The Ruud family can finally bring the trophy home to Norway. It is a special feeling having him here with me”.
Ruud routinely handled Coria
Ruud made a lightining start to the Bastad final, having claimed back-to-back breaks to take an early 4-0 lead.
Coria responded a bit when he broke Ruud in the fifth game to reduce the deficit to 4-1. However, Ruud kept his focus as he served out for the opener in the ninth game. In the second set, Coria led 2-1 after the opening three games but then Ruud earned back-to-back breaks and took a 5-2 lead.
Coria saved three match points in the eighth game as he got one break back to reduce the deficit to 5-3. But Coria then once again dropped his serve in the following game as Ruud booked a straight-set win.