In one of the more tactical matches of the tournament,
Casper Ruud upset World No.4
Alexander Zverev to reach the semifinals at the
Miami Open.
The Norwegian was cerebral in his 6-3 1-6 6-3 triumph over the second seed, outplaying his opponent to secure a well-deserved victory. Ruud appeared poised in the opening set, matching Zverev's powerful groundstrokes from the baseline. The sixth seed incorporated a lot of variety into his game, which led to him controlling the pace of play. After obtaining the vital break, Ruud closed out the first set, much to the appreciation of the raucous crowd.
Nonetheless, Zverev did not waiver as the German fought back in the second set. The Olympic gold medalist broke his opponent on two occasions to force a decider, and momentum seemed to be on his side,
However, Ruud resorted to his game-plan of frustrating with a variety of shots, spins and slices. This led to the World No.8 obtaining a pivotal break, and it was sufficient to see him prevail after an hour and 39 minutes.
Awaiting Ruud in the semifinal is Francisco Cerundolo, as the Argentine advanced after opponent Jannik Sinner was forced to retire early in the match.