Casper Ruud opens up on poor grass-court form following another early Wimbledon exit

Former World No.2 Casper Rudd suffered yet another disappointing early-round loss at the Wimbledon Championships, after which he explained why he was not surprised by the outcome.

The Norwegian fell in the second round to Italian veteran Fabio Fognini, as his grass-court ability was once again called into question. Although Ruud defeated Australian Alex Bolt in the first round, he was unable to get past the more experienced Fognini.

This would be the second straight year that Ruud suffered a second round loss, falling to Great Britain's Liam Broady at the same stage during last year's Wimbledon Championships. Ruud was very frank about his loss following the match against Fognini, stating his game did not adapt to grass-courts.

"Honestly, I'm not too disappointed about losing because I know my chances on this surface, I'm realistic," admitted the former Roland Garros runner-up. "I'm trying to improve, but it's difficult for me to move and feel confident when I'm moving. I'll try to do better in other years."

Ruud decided to skip any warm-up events prior to this year's Wimbledon, following the pattern he has used in years past. The World No.8 opted to take time off after the European clay court season, with his first tournament on grass being at the All England Club.