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Casper Ruud admitted he benefited from the delay caused by rain as he was glad that he was able to overcome 14th-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut 6-7 (4) 7-6 (4) 6-4 in the Montreal last-16. It was a tightly contested battle as the two players were tied to a set apiece after spending two hours and 20 minutes on the court.
At the start of the third set, the rain caused the players to go back to the locker room. Ruud came out refreshed and broke Bautista Agut in the fifth game to open a 3-2 lead in the third set. Ruud then held on to his serve the rest of the match to complete a three-set victory in three hours and 18 minutes.
“It was a tough battle. The first two sets were two hours and 20 minutes. Good intensity and I was feeling it a bit in the legs,” Ruud said after his win, per the ATP website. “Luckily there was some rain, which gave me some time to breath out and regain some energy and I can thank the weather gods today, giving me some extra time and energy”.
Ruud gets his first win over Bautista Agut
Prior to Thursday's meeting in Toronto, Bautista Agut was 2-0 in matches versus Ruud. Bautista Agut was pretty convincing in his first two meeting versus Ruud, handing the Norwegian two straight-set defeats.
After winning the first set on Thursday, Bautista Agut was a set away from clinching his third straight-set win over Ruud. But Ruud refused to quit and ended up with his first victory over Bautista Agut. “This win was a bit extra special.
It was against a player I had never beaten before,” Ruud added. “Such good quality two first sets. I didn’t feel I was able to find any holes in his game, which was frustrating. He is a very tough player, one of the best over the past six, seven, eight years.
Someone I think all young players should look up to. How professional he is and how great a fighter, runner and competitor he is”. Ruud plays Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Montreal quarterfinal.