'Happy to get my revenge' – Ruud secures win over Fucsovics to make semi-final

Casper Ruud is two wins away from defending the Estoril Open title after making short work of Marton Fucsovics in the quarter-finals.

Ruud has made his name on the ATP Tour on clay courts – he has twice made the final of the French Open – and he will be tuning up for Roland-Garros in the weeks ahead.

He took the title in Portugal 12 months ago before reaching the final in Paris, and he is closing in on a repeat after beating Fucsovics 6-3 6-2 in 68 minutes.

Following the win on Friday, Ruud turned his mind back to when he tasted a heavy defeat at the hands of the Hungarian.

“I’ve seen Marton play better, definitely I’ve felt Marton play better, because the last time we played I lost 6-0 6-0 to him, double bagel,” Ruud said of a loss at a challenger event in Budapest in 2017. “It’s some years ago now but happy to get my revenge.

“A bit unfortunate for him, struggling a bit physically [toward the end of the match]. But for me it’s another good match on the clay in Estoril.”

Ruud felt getting the job done in rapid fashion could help him at the weekend.

“Moving on to the semi-finals without having to spend three hours on court is fantastic,” Ruud said. “I will have extra energy and time to recover for tomorrow.”

Ruud will face Pedro Martinez in the semi-finals following his 6-4 6-4 win over Richard Gasquet.