Casper Ruud recovered from a slow start against Cristian Garin on Thursday, when he battled back to earn a 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory at the Hamburg European Open.

The top seed, who reached the semi-finals at the ATP 500 clay-court event in his previous appearance in 2020, played with greater intensity and consistency as the one-hour, 41-minute clash progressed. Ruud gained a crucial break at 2-2 in the second set and then saved all five break points he faced across the second and third sets to reach the quarter-finals.

“Cristian played much better than me at the beginning,” Ruud said. “He broke me right away and was returning from all corners. I had no answers, but just tried to stay in there in the second set and told myself to keep going, maybe I will get a chance. At 2-2 I was able to break him on my first break point and things started to change. A couple of points can decide a match. Even though the result in the end seemed kind of clear, it is always tough against Cristian.”

With his 22nd clay-court tour-level win of the season, Ruud improved to 2-3 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Garin, who had won their previous two clay-court matches. Only Carlos Alcaraz (25), has most tour-level victories on clay in 2023.

The 24-year-old Ruud is chasing his second tour-level trophy of the season, having lifted his 10th ATP Tour crown in Estoril in April. He will continue his quest against #NextGenATP Frenchman Arthur Fils.

“To not dwell on the past, to live in the present and have the memory of a goldfish!”

You will not find Alex de Minaur ruing the day. The 24-year-old revealed the importance of having a positive, forward-thinking mindset in the latest edition of ATP Uncovered’s ‘Note to Self’ series.

“You are going to lose a lot of tennis matches. The most important thing is that the next week there is another chance for you to compete and do well in the next tournament,” De Minaur explained.

The Top 20 star also discussed how he handles distractions, pressure and failure. Although professional athletes face plenty of pressure, De Minaur emphasised the value of enjoying life away from the court.

“Enjoy time with your friends, driving your classic car, playing golf, going to the beach, spending time with your dog,” the Australian said.

De Minaur’s parting shot was writing a short phrase he would share with his younger self. What three words did he write? Watch the full video above to find out.

Top seed at a tour-level event for the first time, Jiri Lehecka coped with the pressure on Thursday when he defeated former World No. 3 Dominic Thiem 6-3, 7-5 at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. Stan Wawrinka, the 2006 champion, also advanced later in the day.

The Czech Lehecka won 82 per cent (31/38) of his first-serve points in his maiden meeting against Thiem, and rallied from a break down in the second set to advance after one hour and 41 minutes.

The 21-year-old, who is making his debut in Umag, will next play seventh seed Matteo Arnaldi in the quarter-finals. Lehecka and Arnaldi both competed at the 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, where the Czech defeated the Italian en route to the final.

Lehecka has used that result as a springboard this season, highlighted by his run to the quarter-finals at the Australian Open and fourth round at Wimbledon. The World No. 33’s best result on clay prior to this week was a third-round appearance at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Monte-Carlo.

Lehecka is seeking his maiden tour-level title this week at the ATP 250 clay-court event. The 2015 Umag champion Thiem was aiming to reach his third tour-level quarter-final of the season. The Austrian leaves Croatia 9-17 on the season.

Wawrinka, who won his first ATP Tour title in Umag 17 years ago, surged past Argentine Federico Coria 7-5, 6-1 to earn his spot in the last eight. The former World No. 3 will next face Roberto Carballes Baena, who eliminated Taro Daniel 6-3, 6-1.

Wawrinka earned five service breaks against Coria, notably winning 56 per cent of his first-serve return points. The Swiss is competing in Umag for the first time since 2007.

Jaume Munar also advanced, defeating Fabian Marozsan 6-4, 6-3. The Spaniard will next meet second seed Lorenzo Sonego or Marco Cecchinato.

#NextGenATP Frenchman Arthur Fils reached his fourth tour-level quarter-final of the season on Thursday at the Hamburg European Open, where he overcame Serbian Dusan Lajovic 7-5, 7-5.

The 19-year-old Fils captured his maiden tour-level title in Lyon in May but arrived at the ATP 500 clay-court event in Hamburg off the back of four consecutive defeats. He has looked close to his best in Germany, though, backing up his first-round win against Daniel Elahi Galan with a controlled display against Lajovic.

Fils rallied from a break down in both sets, winning 48 per cent (23/48) of points on Lajovic’s first serve to triumph after one hour and 41 minutes. He will next meet top seed Casper Ruud.

“It is a big tournament, there are a lot of points,” Fils said. “I am happy about reaching the quarter-finals, but I am looking at the semi-finals or final if I can.

“He has an amazing backhand. He was killing me crosscourt and then hitting down the line. I tried to play with my forehand to make him move, because he was making me move, so I wanted to change that.”

Fils is currently fourth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Next Gen Race as he aims to make his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals at the end of the season. The Frenchman is on 783 points, 138 points clear of fifth-placed American Ben Shelton (645). Earlier this year, Fils advanced to semi-finals at ATP 250 events in Montpellier and Marseille, alongside his title run at the ATP 250 in Lyon.

Defending champion Lorenzo Musetti also advanced, defeating Slovakian lucky loser Jozef Kovalik in a match that spanned two days due to rain.

After play was suspended midway through the second set on Wednesday night, Italian Musetti returned on Thursday to turn the match around, advancing 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 after two hours and seven minutes.

“I put a lot of physical and fighting spirit on the court today,” Musetti said. “I was not finding my best tennis and I could feel that. There was a lot of frustration inside. I was running a lot to get to a lot of balls and I was a little bit lucky and I took the chances that he gave me. I think the great champions, most of the time, don’t play their best tennis but win. I made it so I am really proud of myself.”

Musetti battled back from a break down in the third set, winning the final three games of the match to clinch victory in his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting against the 30-year-old Kovalik.

The World No. 18, who defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the title match in Hamburg 12 months ago, will next meet Laslo Djere in the quarter-finals. The 21-year-old is chasing his first tour-level title of the season, having triumphed in Hamburg and Naples in 2022.

Christopher Eubanks rode his towering serve to a come-from-behind victory over fellow American Brandon Nakashima to charge into the Atlanta Open quarter-finals Wednesday night.

With Nakashima adopting an aggressive service stance, the 21-year-old earned seven break points throughout the match – including three at 0/40 in the final game – but fifth-seeded Eubanks held firm each and every time en route to a 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5 win.

Eubanks fired 21 aces but had not earned a break point on Nakashima’s serve until the ninth game of the second set when he caught fire, breaking the 21-year-old to love, helped by one explosive 99 mph forehand winner. He closed out the set in the next game and in the decider he fended off two break points in his opening service game before breaking to 15 in the 10th game.

Eubanks, who hit 51 winners, is through to his second quarter-final in Atlanta and will next play World No. 82 Australian Aleksandar Vukic, who upset fourth seed Yoshihito Nishioka 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(3) in brutally hot conditions during the day session.

Two-time tournament champion Alex de Minaur improved to 10-1 at Atlantic Station after rallying from an early break down in the second set to defeat fellow Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3, 6-4 in a first-time meeting between the Australians.

Kokkinakis paid the price for putting just 55 per cent of first serves into play, a problem compounded by De Minaur dominating on second serve returns, winning 56 per cent of those points.

De Minaur went down an early break in the second set before upping his aggression. “I let him dictate too much so I tried to step in and play on my terms, which is what got me the first set,” De Minaur said of his revival. “I’m happy to live and fight another day.

“Thanasi is a very good friend. We know each other well and just yesterday we were hanging out all day. It’s always tricky to play a mate.”

The 24-year-old, who at No. 17 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings is just two places below his career-hgh mark, advanced to the quarter-finals, where he will meet Frenchman Ugo Humbert, who took out South Africa’s Lloyd Harris 7-6(6), 6-4.