🎾 ATP Madrid: Casper Ruud vs Taylor Fritz – Match Preview
🧠 Form & Context
🇳🇴 Casper Ruud
- Ranking Dip: Now ranked No. 15 after early exits in Monte Carlo (R16) and Barcelona (QF), failing to defend deep points from 2023.
- Clay Swing Revival: Has won all five of his matches on clay this spring in straight sets, including a convincing R3 win over Sebastian Korda.
- Madrid Opportunity: Exited in R16 here last year—now has a chance to go further and regain ground lost earlier this swing.
- Still Searching for a Signature Clay Title: Despite his “clay specialist” reputation, he’s 0–3 in clay Masters finals and owns a 2–7 record against top-5 clay players.
🇺🇸 Taylor Fritz
- Fitness Watch: Returned from injury sustained during his Miami semifinal run. Beat O’Connell easily in R2, then escaped a tricky R3 against Bonzi, who retired after dropping the second set.
- Madrid Boost: Made the semifinals here in 2024, showing his game works well in these altitude-aided conditions.
- Clay Vulnerabilities: Traditionally struggles on clay, especially against opponents who can absorb pace and force longer exchanges.
- Underdog Edge: Fritz will be under less pressure and has a history of rising to the occasion when underestimated on this surface.
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