Ruud’s Quickfire SF Win Sets Berrettini Clash In Gstaad

Top seed Casper Ruud produced a clinical performance to see off the challenge of Albert Ramos-Vinolas with a comfortable 6-2, 6-0 semi-final victory at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad on Saturday afternoon.

In a battle between the past two champions at the clay-court ATP 250 event in Switzerland, Ruud was dominant throughout. The Norwegian broke 2019 champion Ramos-Vinolas’ serve five times and did not face a single break point on his own delivery as he charged to a 62-minute victory.

“I played really well from the start to the end,” said Ruud after the match. “I got the perfect start to have a 3-0 lead. He’s always a tough player to play against. He’s a lefty which makes everything a bit complicated sometimes.

“He’s a great fighter, a great runner, and makes a lot of balls. Today he made a few extra unforced errors, but I was also pressuring him all the time, playing heavy and very smart and aggressive, so I guess I was doing the right thing all the time.”

Ruud will take on second seed Matteo Berrettini in Sunday’s championship match, after the Italian earlier defeated Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-4. Both Ruud and Berrettini are seeking their third title of 2022 and their second crown in Gstaad, where both finalists are also unbeaten. Berrettini triumphed on his sole previous appearance in the Swiss mountains in 2018, while Ruud defeated Hugo Gaston to lift the trophy on his maiden appearance at the event a year ago.

“It will be a tough one for sure,” said Ruud after his semi-final victory. “I know Matteo well. We didn’t grow up together but the past years we have played each other a couple of times. He’s a super nice guy and he’s also on a good run on the Tour at the moment and also in Switzerland. We’ll both seek our second win here in Gstaad, and it will be an interesting match.”

A lightning-fast start from Ruud on Saturday saw his heavy baseline hitting earn a breakthrough on the Ramos-Vinolas serve in the second game. That set the tone for the match, as the Norwegian consistently pounced on any short balls offered by the Spaniard with his huge forehand.

A further break of the Ramos-Vinolas serve clinched the opening set for the top seed, and he was just as clinical in the second set as the Spaniard continued to struggle behind his delivery. Ruud wrapped up his win having won 22/38 points on return in a commanding all-around performance.

“Yesterday I said that I needed to bring my A-game if I wanted to have a chance and I was able to do it,” said Ruud. “I knew also that he finished his match late yesterday, and sometimes you need to use those small things to your advantage. I came out playing aggressive and with good intensity, and that worked well.”

Having lost his first four tour-level matches against Ramos-Vinolas, Saturday’s win improved Ruud’s ATP Head2Head series record against the Spaniard to 3-4. The World No. 5 is chasing his fourth consecutive ATP Tour title in Switzerland in Sunday’s final, having also lifted the trophy in Geneva in 2021 and 2022 as well as last year in Gstaad.