Ruud on Bublik: "When he's on his game, he becomes extremely dangerous"

Fresh off his first Masters 1000 title in Madrid, Casper Ruud continued his momentum in Rome. For his opening match, the Norwegian faced Alexander Bublik, against whom he had only lost once in seven previous encounters.

The world No. 7 had to work hard but ultimately prevailed in a tough battle (6-4, 4-6, 6-3) and will now face Matteo Berrettini in the next round. After the match, Ruud praised his opponent, acknowledging his unpredictable nature and ability to raise his level against the world's best players.

"Bublik played a great match—he didn’t give me time to think or any space to build long rallies. When he’s on his game, he becomes extremely dangerous.

He serves well, comes up with incredible volleys, and hits drop shots that are impossible to return. He can throw you off with any shot; he doesn’t give you any reference points. For me, he’s definitely a formidable opponent.

Luckily, in the third set, I managed to break his serve first, which allowed me to focus more on my own service games," he explained to Championnat.