FILE PHOTO: Tennis – Australian Open – First Round – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 21, 2020. Norway’s Casper Ruud in action during his match against Belarus’ Egor Gerasimov REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
(Reuters) – Norwegian Casper Ruud turned back Spain’s Albert Ramos-Vinolas to qualify for his second final in a month at the Chile Open on Saturday.
The 21-year-old, champion in Buenos Aires two weeks ago, topped Ramos-Vinolas 7-6(5) 6-2 in Santiago to set up a meeting with the winner of Saturday’s second semi-final between Brazil’s Thiago Seyboth Wild and Renzo Olivo of Argentina.
“I enjoy coming to South America so much. It’s been a special place for me, really,” Ruud said. “Last year I broke into the Top 100, now I’m playing two finals. … This is very nice to end the swing.”
Ruud crushed a return winner in the first-set tie-break to earn a fourth set point, which he converted when Ramos-Vinolas failed to return his serve.
The Norwegian did not let his momentum slip in the second set, using an inside-out forehand winner to break for 3-2, and earned another break when the Spanish left-hander hit a forehand into the net.
Reporting by Gene Cherry in Salvo, North Carolina; Editing by Daniel Wallis