Ruud after qualifying for the Madrid final: "I wasn’t sure I could finish the match"

Casper Ruud reached the second Masters 1000 final of his career after defeating Francisco Cerundolo in the semifinals in Madrid this Friday.

The match had started poorly for the Norwegian, as he took a medical timeout after just three games in the first set. The issue stemmed from rib pain, but he ultimately emerged victorious from the encounter, as he explained in his post-match interview:

"Honestly, I wasn’t sure I could finish the match. I felt discomfort in my ribs toward the end of the warm-up. I felt it on every shot, but mostly on my serve. Luckily, I got medical attention quickly.

With a three-minute medical timeout, there’s not much you can do. I took some painkillers. It’s not ideal, but in a situation like that, it’s the best thing to do. After a few games, the discomfort became easier to manage. I’ll get it checked out, hoping it’s nothing serious."