The Ruud Awakening!

[stringertom]

In his very first Challenger tournament, 17-year-old Norwegian Casper Ruud has made all the way through qualifying to the main draw finals tomorrow in Seville, Spain versus veteran Taro Daniel.

His path to the finals included hard fought upsets of #5 seed Andrej Martin (Umag 250 finalist) and #1 seed Inigo Cervantes (São Paulo 250 SF).

Ruud reached the #1 world junior ranking at the start of 2016 but has opted to focus on the pro tour, playing 11 Futures tournaments and winning two of them and two trips to other finals.

Casper is the son of Christian Ruud, who reached top 40 in the mid-90's.

A win tomorrow will place Ruud in the top 275.

 

[Sysyphus]

Just leaving my mark in this thread for when Casper rules claycourt tennis in some years' time.

 

[gogo]

Cheering for Casper in his finals match this weekend!
(why am I not surprised that you'd find a way to use your clever pun in the thread title, tom? I like it.)

 

[donquijote]

Ruud Awakening?

 

[Poisoned Slice]

 

[nowhereman]

He's got some nice bleach blond hair a la young fedr. Clear sign this kid's going places.

 

[TheGhostOfAgassi]

Kom igjen Casper!! Vi digger deg!

 

[Red Rick]

Onto the bandwagon I go, like a hipster, before he makes it and it's cool to be on it.

Also, sexy avatar, Tom

 

[MatsPhilander]

 

[stringertom]

Cheering for Casper in his finals match this weekend!
(why am I not surprised that you'd find a way to use your clever pun in the thread title, tom? I like it.)

I am surprise we haven't had a The Force Awakens meme added yet!

The Force in 3 today!

 

[morten]

He is 17 not 18yo btw...

 

[stringertom]

He is 17 not 18yo btw...

Sorry, already using TTW Federer age calculations...add the year when within 3 months or so of the next birthday.

Will edit OP. Thanks!

 

[stringertom]

Casper up a set and a break in the opening game of the second set!!!

Wish I was watching!

 

[stringertom]

Double break, 3-0 second set!

 

[rainingaces]

Backhand error from Taro ends a run of 12 straight points won.

 

[gogo]

just flipped the stream on ...looks like Casper is now pushing Taro around the court.

Spoke too soon. Break point for Daniel.

ETA: and Ruud eeks out the game. up 5-3 in the 2nd.

 

[rainingaces]

He has a great forehand and he is really going for his shots with it.

 

[gogo]

double match point.

ETA: Daniel manages to come back and win his serve game. Ruud serving for the match at 5-4

 

[rainingaces]

double match point.

All his errors are off the backhand side, he lifts the ball over the baseline with it and then he nets one.

 

[gogo]

and Ruud wins the very first Challenger he enters!!

Dynamite!

And just to be clear....he's Norwegian, not Finnish!

 

[rainingaces]

Great win, it's been a while since a 17 year old won a challenger.

You can see who he modeled his FH after.

 

[morten]

Amazing... my countryman

 

[gogo]

Amazing... my countryman

Go Norway!

Land of amazing cross country skiers and tennis players!

 

[stringertom]

Go Norway!

Land of amazing cross country skiers and tennis players!

Fabulous composers and artists named Edvard. The artist did a chillingly accurate portrait of Andy Murray decades before his birth.

 

[gogo]

Whatever could you be referring to stringertom?

(wishing I was better at photoshop.)

 

[gogo]

Completely off topic (and a nod to morten), but...

I've been enamoured with Norway ever since I started following track ('athletics' to everywhere in the world except US and Canada) when my kids got competitive. The Junior World Championships were held in Bergen Norway. I looked it up and let's just say that Norway is an absolutely gorgeous country with awesome people. JMO.

 

[Deleted member 77403]

Now, you two know the REAL meaning of The Rude Awakening.

 

[morten]

Completely off topic (and a nod to morten), but...

I've been enamoured with Norway ever since I started following track ('athletics' to everywhere in the world except US and Canada) when my kids got competitive. The Junior World Championships were held in Bergen Norway. I looked it up and let's just say that Norway is an absolutely gorgeous country with awesome people. JMO.

What can i say. . Thank you

 

[Sysyphus]

The cool Norwegian goes through qualies and outlasts the whole field in the brutal Sevilla heat in his first ever challenger. Bawls of steel from herr Ruud.

 

[Gytha]

Wins first CH he enters beating stalwart top 100 players??

Well damn!

 

[junior74]

A grand achievement by His Rudeness

 

[papertank]

Props for spotting this up and comer before the rest of us. Hopefully he can go on and do great things.

 

[stringertom]

Props for spotting this up and comer before the rest of us. Hopefully he can go on and do great things.

He gets another bite at the apple right away with a WC into main draw at consonant soup Polish Challenger and is now ranked above his 1R Challenger opponent Italian Edoardo Eremin. He could face #1 seed Marcel Granollers in QFs if he wins two matches.

 

[stringertom]

ATP website is currently streaming live the dubs match that precedes Casper's 1R on court #1. They are near the end of the first set so we may be seeing The Ruud Awakening within the next hour!

#FingersCrossed

 

[stringertom]

Ruud has won the first set, 6-3 by capitalizing on his only BP opportunity and saving 5 BPs on his serve.

On his own serve, he plays on the baseline or in and dictates. Receiving is a totally different approach, playing well back and is exposed to Eremin moving him around a lot. He needs better and aggressive returns to recapture the chance to dictate on his terms in Eremin's service games.

 

[gogo]

Ruud has won the first set, 6-3 by capitalizing on his only BP opportunity and saving 5 BPs on his serve.

On his own serve, he plays on the baseline or in and dictates. Receiving is a totally different approach, playing well back and is exposed to Eremin moving him around a lot. He needs better and aggressive returns to recapture the chance to dictate on his terms in Eremin's service games.

And Casper takes the match 63 64. Onward!

 

[stringertom]

Ruud wins 6-3 6-4!

Great serve/FH combo, hitting many winners DTL and inside-out off of any ball left hanging midcourt. His BH was steady but not a big weapon; I like that he already throws in some shbh slices to change pace.

The returns need some work...stands way back and he doesn't have the wheels of a young Nadal to pull off aggressive tactics from there...lots of returns popping up midcourt that Eremin punished.

He plays #8 Cecchinato in 2R, who also won in straights. Could be a tough one; Cecchinato made the finals in Como Challenger two weeks ago, beating Volandri, the younger Ymer and Melzer, and Taro Daniel.

 

[stringertom]

NCH #253 with the win today. He could pass Shapo with two more wins this week. #1 seed Granollers, the most probable QF opponent, is struggling in a third set vs Eysseric.

 

[Sysyphus]

Sadly didn't get a chance to watch. Very good that he has kept up the winning habit this week too. Many juniors in his position would've seen a slump. Onwards, Casper!

 

[stringertom]

Granollers retired, down 0-2 in the third set. This opens the draw for the Ruud/Cecchinato winner.

 

[stringertom]

Sadly didn't get a chance to watch. Very good that he has kept up the winning habit this week too. Many juniors in his position would've seen a slump. Onwards, Casper!

Eremin helped a lot...very low 1st serve percentage and an UE waiting to happen.

I really like how Ruud closed the match on a love game hold, showing Norwegian ice water in the veins. A break there would have made for sweaty palms, squeaky bum time.

 

[Sysyphus]

Eremin helped a lot...very low 1st serve percentage and an UE waiting to happen.

I really like how Ruud closed the match on a love game hold, showing Norwegian ice water in the veins. A break there would have made for sweaty palms, squeaky bum time.

Only fitting then that his main sponsor seems to be the bottled-water company Isklar (ice clear).

 

[jaggy]

If the neighbors were to invade he may be Finish

 

[Chanwan]

Kid's got some serious potential, it seems. Haven't been able to watch much of him yet.
What's the verdict from those who have? (read S.Toms above).

 

[Zebrev]

Zverev did it at an even younger age...

 

[stringertom]

Zverev did it at an even younger age...

Reeshard won three Challenger titles at age 16 and another just after reaching the ripe old age of 17.

 

[Zebrev]

Reeshard won three Challenger titles at age 16 and another just after reaching the ripe old age of 17.

Reeshard the drugged up coke fiend?

 

[Locotus]

Kid's got some serious potential, it seems. Haven't been able to watch much of him yet.
What's the verdict from those who have? (read S.Toms above).

Obviously loads of potential. Forehand is already a weapon, especially on clay. Improved serve and a more reliable BH compared to last year. As Tom mentioned he tends to be pushed around in the return games and I'd say his overall physics won him the Sevilla challenger. It was played in 40+ degrees where the likes of Zeballos retired from heat exhaustion. I do like that he's not afraid to end points at the net despite not having a convincing net game.

He's clearly vulnerable to pressure in the backhand corner and RoS has to be worked on. So far he's getting away with it vs. top 200 guys on clay, but if he gets to Brown or JJ I'm afraid those weaknesses will be well exposed.

Ruud is now on a 18 game winning streak, counting the norwegian championships in mid august. Following the win in Sevilla he had to rethink his schedule. He's still entering Chengdu on a WC, but I'll guess he's planning to rack up as many points as possible on clay to try to get into AO qualies.

Ruud used to lose thight matches vs. the younger Ymer who is now finally back in play. It will be interesting to see if he now has turned the tables in what will hopefully be a great scandinavic rivalry. BTW Ruuds next opponent beat Ymer 6-3/7-6 in Como two weeks ago.

 

[stringertom]

Reeshard the drugged up coke fiend?

Oui, Monsieur...J'ai embrasse une fille Reeshard!

 

[Sysyphus]

Oh yeah, a Ruud–Ymer rivalry could prove seriously enticing. IMO Ymer looked even more promising but he got sidelined for more than half a year with injury, which must suck pretty bad when you're only 17. Great that he's back on the grind now as well tho.