By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, October 18, 2025Photo credit score: BNP Paribas Nordic Open Fb
Beneath Stockholm’s roof, Casper Ruud is displaying excessive hard-court ceiling.
Ruud rode a stinging first serve defeating Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 6-4 to cost into his twenty sixth profession last on the Stockholm Open.
The second-seeded Ruud served 65 %, permitted solely seven factors on first serve and saved 4 of 5 break factors beating Shapovalov for the third time in 4 conferences.
Former world No. 2 Ruud improved to an ATP-best 10-1 indoors this yr avenging his lone indoor loss to then 54th-ranked Shapovalov within the Dallas last.
It’s Ruud’s eighth profession hard-court last.
The 2-time French Open finalist will play for his second profession hard-court crown, and first since 2021 San Diego, when he faces Ugo Humbert in tomorrow’s last.
Prime-seeded Holger Rune suffered a torn left Achilles tendon and was pressured to retire whereas main Humbert 6-4, 2-2 in immediately’s opening semifinal.
“It’s a disgrace for Rune and I would like him again quickly,” Humbert mentioned afterward. “He performed higher than me and I don’t wish to discuss an excessive amount of in regards to the last. It wasn’t the way it was imagined to occur.”
The fourth-seeded Humbert is 3-2 lifetime vs. Ruud, together with profitable each of their prior hard-court encounters. The Stockholm last can be their first assembly on a tough court docket in almost 5 years.
