Ruud advances to Barcelona Open final, his fourth title match of the year
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Casper Ruud advanced to his fourth final of the year after beating Tomas Martin Etcheverry in straight sets at the Barcelona Open on Saturday.
The sixth-ranked Norwegian won the semifinal 7-6 (6), 6-4 on the outdoor clay court. He will face either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Dusan Lajovic for the title on Sunday.
Ruud has won 10 career titles but lost all three previous finals he played in 2024, including last weekend when he fell to Tsitsipas in the Monte Carlo title match.
Ruud needed to save a set point in the first set against Martin Etcheverry to record his season-leading 28th win.
Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament before it started because of an injury, while second-seeded Andrey Rublev lost in the second round.
Rafael Nadal, a 12-time champion in Barcelona, made his return to the courts for the first time since January on Tuesday, only to lose the next day.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis