Casper Ruud continues to play excellent tennis at the start of 2024 as he keeps Norway alive in the 2024 United Cup quarterfinals with a win over Adrian Mannarino.
The first match of this United Cup tie saw Caroline Garcia give France the first point. That put Ruud in a tricky spot because losing the match would basically ensure that Norway was out.
He needed to win the match, and he stepped up right on time. The Norwegian has generally looked really solid at the start of the year, beating Taylor Fritz in Abu Dhabi easily.
It's a stark contrast to how badly he started last year, and having a proper off-season this year might have something to do with it. Mannarino is not an easy player to beat, but Ruud made it look very easy early in this match, taking a 4-0 lead early.
He would finish off the set 6-1, behind four aces and just dominant play, which saw him lose only a few points on his serve. The second set was a bit tougher because Mannarino played a bit better, but for the most part, Ruud again didn't have major problems in winning it.
He once again dominated on his serve, hitting multiple aces and not allowing a single break point. On return, he did enough to create chances and then use them.
The final score was 6-1 6-4 as Ruud made it 1-1 in the tie, and now it's all about the doubles. He continued his great start to the season as he looks to return to where he was two years ago.
Despite not favoring quick hard courts, Ruud is playing aggressive tennis, and it's been working. Let's see whether he suits up for the doubles in the hopes of pushing his country into the next round of the event.
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