Norwegian tennis star Casper Ruud produced a commanding performance on Thursday to defeat Daniil Medvedev in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5, and secure a place in the semi-finals of the Madrid Open for the first time in his career.
The win marked Ruud’s first-ever victory over Medvedev in four attempts and highlighted his growing confidence on clay, a surface that continues to bring out his best tennis. Ruud, currently ranked 15th in the world, had previously knocked out Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals and followed up with a composed display against the world number 10.
From the outset, Ruud looked the more comfortable of the two players on the Caja Mágica’s clay courts. He broke Medvedev’s serve early in the first set — in the fourth game — and maintained control to close it out 6-3. Medvedev, who has been vocal in his discomfort with clay surfaces throughout his career, struggled to find rhythm and was unable to respond to Ruud’s consistency from the baseline.
In the second set, Medvedev showed signs of recovery, holding serve and tightening up his game. However, the Russian could not create a single break point opportunity, and the pressure eventually told. Ruud earned the lone break point of the set in the 11th game and made it count, breaking Medvedev to take a crucial 6-5 lead. The Norwegian then served out the match with precision and poise to complete the victory in just under two hours.
Although Ruud only converted two of eight break point chances, his ability to dictate the rallies and remain patient on critical points proved decisive. Medvedev, by contrast, endured a frustrating day, committing 33 unforced errors and four double faults, undermining his ability to challenge in either set.
“It was a tough match,” said Ruud in his post-match comments. “Even though the scoreline was straight sets, it was never easy. Daniil is always dangerous, but I felt confident today and used the clay to my advantage. I’m really happy to reach the semi-finals here for the first time.”
Ruud now awaits the winner of the quarter-final clash between Francisco Cerundolo and Jakub Mensik. Both players are also seeking their first appearance in a Masters 1000 final, adding to the intrigue of Ruud’s potential path to the title.
Elsewhere in the draw, fifth seed Jack Draper will face Matteo Arnaldi, and Lorenzo Musetti takes on Gabriel Diallo in the day’s remaining quarter-finals, ensuring a diverse and unpredictable conclusion to this year’s tournament in Madrid.
With his confidence surging and his clay-court pedigree shining through, Ruud will be seen as a strong contender to reach his second Masters 1000 final of the season and perhaps even claim his biggest career title to date.
