
Casper makes it 2-0 to Ruud family after beating Korda in Madrid
Casper Ruud said gaining revenge for his family was on his mind during his win over Sebastian Korda at the Madrid Open on Sunday but the Norwegian could only grin sheepishly after learning his father Christian had actually beaten Petr Korda 26 years ago.
Christian Ruud defeated former world number two Petr Korda in their only meeting on the ATP Tour at the Miami Open in 1999, a stat which surprised world number 15.
'Honestly I thought he had lost to Petr before, so I was out here seeking revenge for the family, but this is an even better statistic for us,' he said after his 6-3 6-3 win on Sunday.
'We'll try to keep it alive for as long as possible. It's fun that you see certain situations like this where father and son have played and are doing well.
Djokovic hints at Madrid farewell after crashing out in second round
'I'm sure Sebi and I will play many more times in our career and I'll try my best to keep him behind me but at some point I'm sure he'll catch up or get a win over the Ruud family.'
Victory was Ruud's 150th win on clay and the twice French Open runner-up will continue his preparations for the May 25-June 8 Grand Slam when he meets third-seeded American Taylor Fritz in the Madrid round of 16.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Business Recorder
an hour ago
- Business Recorder
Alcaraz puts French Open title on line against scorching Sinner
PARIS: Carlos Alcaraz bids to defend his French Open title against Jannik Sinner as the two stars of a new generation face off in a Grand Slam final for the first time on Sunday. The 22-year-old Alcaraz and Sinner, 23, have together scooped up the last five majors to usher in a new era in men's tennis after two decades defined by the dominance of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz hopes to become the third man this century to retain the Coupe des Mousquetaires after Gustavo Kuerten and Nadal. Sinner is chasing his third successive Grand Slam triumph – and fourth overall – after winning last year's US Open and retaining his Australian Open crown in January. The world number one has lost just seven matches since the start of 2024 but four of those defeats have come against Alcaraz, including a five-set reverse in last year's Roland Garros semi-finals. Alcaraz holds a 7-4 head-to-head edge over Sinner, winning the Italian Open final in Rome three weeks ago as the latter made his return to competition after a three-month doping ban. The Spaniard warned after that final that Sinner would be an even greater threat in Paris with more matches under his belt, and so it has proved with the Italian yet to drop a set at the French Open. Novak Djokovic and Sinner chase French Open semis as underdogs look for upsets 'He's the best tennis player right now,' said Alcaraz. 'I mean, he's destroying every opponent.' Alcaraz is battle-tested having won just two of his six matches in straight sets but had a shorter outing in the semi-finals than perhaps anticipated after Lorenzo Musetti was forced to retire. Second seed Alcaraz has little doubt that Sunday's showpiece – the first Grand Slam men's final between two players born in the 2000s – will be one to remember. 'It's going to be a really great Sunday for fans of tennis,' said Alcaraz, who knows he will need to be at his best to deny Sinner a maiden French Open trophy. 'I love that battle. But most of the time is just about suffering, because (he pushes) you to the limit.' 'It doesn't get any bigger' Sinner is 18-1 this year and has picked up where he left off in Melbourne after a doping controversy which forced him off the courts for the Sunshine Swing in the US and the start of the clay-court season. He twice tested positive for traces of the banned anabolic steroid clostebol in March last year, a contamination doping authorities accepted was accidental. Sinner has always maintained the product entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing it to treat a cut. He has looked in prime form in Paris, extending his winning streak in majors to 20 matches to reach a first Roland Garros final. Adriano Panatta was the last Italian man to win the French Open in 1976. Sinner dashed Djokovic's hopes of a record-setting 25th Grand Slam on Friday with a fourth straight win over the 38-year-old Serbian, who admitted the loss may have been his final French Open match. With the last remaining member of the old guard out of the picture, the stage is set for Alcaraz and Sinner to embark on the biggest clash so far in their already gripping rivalry. Both are unbeaten in Grand Slam finals, but that will change come Sunday. 'The stage, it doesn't get any bigger now. Grand Slam finals against Carlos, it's a special moment for me and for him, too,' said Sinner. 'The tension you feel before the match and during the match is a little bit different in a way, because we are both very young, we are both different, but talented.' Comparisons have already been made between the sport's new rivalry and those shared by the big three of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer, but Sinner said it was too early for such talk. 'It takes time to compare us with the big three,' said Sinner. 'I believe that tennis or every sport needs rivalries, no? This could be potentially one of these, but there are amazing players coming up.'


Express Tribune
12 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Sabalenka eyes claycourt supremacy
The French Open women's singles final takes centre stage at Roland Garros on Saturday. World number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus takes on last year's semi-finalist, American Coco Gauff, as she looks to land her first French Open crown to add to her three Grand Slam titles. Long considered a hardcourt specialist, the 27-year-old top seed Sabalenka, the most powerful player on the tour, will try to establish herself as an all-rounder with her first title in Paris. She has already won back-to-back titles at the Australian Open in 2023-24 as well as the U.S. Open crown in 2024 but she had never before reached the final in Paris with the slower clay not naturally suited to her heavy-hitting game. Her three-set semi-final victory on Thursday over four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek, who was looking to become the first woman since tennis turned professional in 1968 to win four editions of the tournament in a row, elevated Sabalenka to a new level. The Belarusian did not change her power game or adapt it to clay. Instead she used it effectively to forge past her opponent. Despite the closed roof that made the ball even slower, Sabalenka's serve was still a major weapon as she dished out a third-set bagel against Swiatek, who had been on a 26-match winning streak at the tournament and is nicknamed the 'queen of clay'. "I wasn't really trying to overhit," Sabalenka said after her semi-final win. "I didn't really think to overhit and hit harder than I usually do." It is this power that Gauff, a far more natural claycourt player than Sabalenka, will need to overcome. A finalist here in 2022, Gauff is also looking for her first singles crown in Paris. She won the women's doubles last year but will be looking to add the Suzanne Lenglen cup to her Grand Slam collection that so far has one major, the 2023 U.S. Open where she beat Sabalenka in the final. The American does not have anywhere near the punching power from the serve or baseline that her opponent will bring into the encounter but her athleticism, precision and ability to stay in the rallies will be key. One of the best movers on the tour, Gauff has dropped just one set en route to the final. She also superbly handled the pressure in her semi-final against local wildcard Lois Boisson, coping admirably with home crowd's vocal support for the surprise semi-finalist. "Obviously she's (Sabalenka) someone who has great big shots, and she's going to come out aggressive," Gauff said. "She's going to come out swinging. I think I just have to expect that and do my best to kind of counter that." 'Privileged' Gauff eyes French Open crown Gauff said she will try to downplay the magnitude of Saturday's French Open final. "My first final here I was super nervous, and I kind of wrote myself off before the match even happened," said Gauff, the world number two behind Sabalenka. "Obviously here I have a lot more confidence just from playing a Grand Slam final before and doing well in one. "I think going into Saturday I'll just give it my best shot and try to be as calm and relaxed as possible." Gauff said the experience of losing to Swiatek three years ago gave her fresh perspective she hopes will serve her well for Saturday's showpiece. "Everybody is dealing with way bigger things in life than losing a final," she said. "I'm sure there are hundreds of players that would kill to win or lose a final, so just knowing that, making me realise how lucky and privileged I am to be in this position. "At first I thought it would be the end of the world if I lost, and you know, the sun still rose the next day. So knowing, regardless of the result, the sun will still rise."


Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
Sinner faces Djokovic as reigning champion Alcaraz eyes French Open final
PARIS: World number one Jannik Sinner locks horns with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the French Open semi-finals Friday, as Carlos Alcaraz tries to keep his title defence on track against Lorenzo Musetti. Sinner has stormed into the last four without dropping a set while Djokovic impressed in a four-set win over last year's runner-up Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals. Alcaraz delivered his most convincing display of the tournament in a ruthless demolition of Tommy Paul in the last round, while the in-form Musetti is targeting his first major final. Top seed and three-time Grand Slam winner Sinner takes on the most successful man ever to play the sport in a rivalry that connects one generation to the next. Sinner, 23, and Djokovic, 38, have split their eight meetings, but the Italian has won four of the last five matches to signal the undeniable power shift in men's tennis. Sinner is riding a 19-match winning run at Grand Slams as he chases a third successive major title, looking to go a step further at Roland Garros than last year's semi-final loss to Alcaraz in five sets. Novak Djokovic and Sinner chase French Open semis as underdogs look for upsets '(Djokovic) has shown now in the last period that he is back to the level,' said Sinner. 'It's going to be… very, very difficult. He's such an experienced player, 24 Grand Slams. I think that says everything.' A week before Roland Garros, Djokovic had not won a single match on clay this year. But after capturing his 100th ATP title in Geneva and arriving at the French Open battle-tested, the 38-year-old Serbian has steadily hit his stride. The three-time Roland Garros champion is two wins away from a record-breaking 25th major to move him out in front of Margaret Court, but he is aware of the magnitude of the task ahead. 'Jannik is in tremendous form, and he has been the best player for the last couple of years,' said Djokovic. 'There is no bigger occasion for me… I just hope that I will be able to physically keep up.' Djokovic could become the first man to beat the world's top three players en route to a Grand Slam title after defeating third-ranked Zverev in the last eight, with world number two Alcaraz a possible final opponent. 'I think at the moment he's a bit underrated, to be honest,' Zverev said after his loss to the Serb. 'I think like a lot of people count him out already, but this year he's had wins over Carlos at the Australian Open, he has had a win over me at the French Open. Forget the age. I think for any player, those are pretty good results.' Alcaraz continues title defence Alcaraz resumes his burgeoning rivalry with Musetti, hoping to back up victories over the Italian in the Monte Carlo Masters final and Italian Open semi-finals. But Musetti, who also reached the last four in Madrid, is one of the form players on the ATP Tour and has carried that confidence into Roland Garros. 'I mean he's playing great,' said Alcaraz of his semi-final opponent. 'It's going to be a beautiful battle, a beautiful match, I think we're both playing great tennis… it's going to be great for the people to watch as well.' The Spaniard is targeting a fifth Grand Slam title this weekend and will be a heavy favourite on Friday despite Musetti's recent good run. Alcaraz has won the last five matches between the two since Musetti took their first meeting in the 2022 Hamburg Open final. He also dished out a straight-sets thrashing to Musetti in the 2023 French Open last 16, losing only seven games. World number seven Musetti will be playing in just his second Grand Slam semi-final, after a last-four defeat by Djokovic at Wimbledon last year. Should he go through and meet Sinner for the title, it would be the first all-Italian men's final at a Grand Slam.