Matteo Berrettini shut down: Casper Ruud's serving masterclass secures Japan Open quarterfinal berth

Casper Ruud achieved a great victory against former Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini 7-6(4), 6-2 to secure a place in the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 Japan Open. The World No. 12 overcame a tight first set and dominated the second to return to winning ways amid his quest to finish the season inside the Top 10.

The Norwegian and the Italian met for their 9th encounter (Ruud dominates 6-3) —four months after their last duel back at the Rome Open. On that occasion, Ruud advanced from the third round after Berrettini suffered an injury in the second set that forced him to retire, complicating his following months, during which he has played only three tournaments since.

In fact, Berrettini's last victory before Tokyo had come in Rome in early May when he defeated Jacob Fearnley. Four months passed before the Italian experienced a win again in his Tokyo debut—defeating Spain's Jaume Munar—but his run came to an end this Friday against the former World No. 2.

This was one of the most anticipated matchups of the second round, between two former Grand Slam finalists. Ruud arrived with more match rhythm against a Berrettini who is still finding his way back after another injury setback. Both players showed serving strength for much of the first set, maintaining parity without either even managing a single break point.

Nevertheless, Ruud faced slightly more trouble on his serve throughout the set, against a Berrettini who won the majority of his service games to love. The differences were minimal, with Ruud winning 86% of first-serve points compared to Berrettini's 79%. The parity was maintained until 6-5 in favor of Ruud—who then had his first break opportunity (and set point), but failed to convert it. Everything was ultimately decided in the tie-break, where Ruud was clinical, earning three mini-breaks to take the set 7-6(4).

Although Berrettini had given Ruud few chances, the Norwegian stayed true to his style and waited for his opportunity without losing composure, even though it was difficult for him just to put the ball in play against a Berrettini who, when inspired, is one of the best servers on Tour. Early in the second set, another break opportunity arose for Ruud, who quickly capitalized on it to take a lead in the third game.

The next few minutes were marked by Ruud's dominance and errors from Berrettini, which ended up costing the Italian dearly. Ruud was only conceded two break opportunities, and he took both consecutively, winning four games in a row to advance to a 5-1 lead. With greater peace of mind, Ruud knew in the final minutes of the match that he only needed to hold his nerve on his serve to secure the victory, and he fulfilled his responsibility, closing out the match 7-6(4), 6-2 without conceding a single break point throughout the entire hour and 39 minutes.

Ruud is finding victory again after his stint at the Laver Cup—where he defeated Reilly Opelka—and a hard-fought debut against wildcard Shintaro Mochizuki in Tokyo (4-6, 6-1, 6-1). He had not achieved much success in the North American hardcourt swing, holding a 3-3 record with early eliminations in Toronto, Cincinnati, and the US Open.

This time, the Norwegian starts in good form against a strong opponent like Berrettini and secures his spot in the Tokyo Open quarterfinals. For the quarterfinals, he will face the surprising qualifier Aleksandar Vukic (current World No. 79), who will be looking to reach an ATP tournament semifinal for the second time this season. Meanwhile, Ruud earned 90 points, which could be vital as he fights to finish the year inside the Top 10, and potentially compete for a spot in the ATP Finals in Turin.