Ruud before facing Argentina in Davis Cup: "I know I have an important role in the team".
Casper Ruud wants to regain his confidence. After an Australian Open that saw him eliminated in the second round by Jakub Mensik, the Norwegian is looking to bounce back, and what better way to do so than with a Davis Cup match against Argentina?
In an interview with Punto De Break, the former world number 2 looks forward to the match in Oslo starting this Thursday.
He begins with a match against Mariano Navone: "Playing for your country gives you a special motivation. It's rare to find Norwegians in the world's biggest tournaments.
So it's quite exciting to meet up again, but it's also a responsibility to take part in this Davis Cup play-off match.
We're a team that respects these types of tournaments, but being at home helps us, and we'll need to rely on the support of our fans, who will be making a lot of noise.
Argentina are the favourites. I know I have an important role to play in the team. We also need to set ourselves goals.
I'm here to advise youngsters like Nicolai Budkov Kjaer (18, who will face Etcheverry on January 30). I hope this experience will help him grow, because he has great potential," assures the three-time Grand Slam finalist.