Casper Ruud battled past Quentin Halys 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-2) to reach the 16th final of his career and the first title match of the 2023 season at the Millennium Estoril Open.
Ruud survived a hard-fought match against Haly, who beat Dominic Thiem and had not dropped a set earlier this week before Saturday’s semifinal match.
Ruud earned an early break in the first game of the opening set and held his next service games to win the first 6-4. The second set was also decided by a single break earned by Halys in the fourth game. The third set went on serve with no breaks points en route to the tie-break. Each player battled through deuce once on serve. Ruud raced out to a 3-0 lead in the tie-break. Halys pulled one mini-break back for 1-3, but Ruud never looked back and earned his third mini-break to win the tie-break 7-2.
Ruud beat Halys 11-9 in the fifth set at the 2018 Australian Open.
The Scandinavian player returned to world number 4 with his his semifinal in Estoril overtaking Danil Medvedev.
“It was another great match, a close and exciting match. I am just very happy that it went in my favour. It’s just some points here and there that decide a match like this. I am happy to win a match 7-6 in the third set. That’s always a great feeling”, said Ruud.
Ruud set up a final against his friend Miomir Kecmanovic, who beat 2018 Roland Garros semifinalist Marco Cecchinato 6-3 6-1 in 1 hour and 8 minutes. Kecmanovic had not dropped a set in his previous four matches earlier this week.
Kecmanovic earned his first break point in the fifth game with a backhand down the line and converted it at deuce after a long rally to take a 3-2 lead. Kecmanovic held his serve for 4-2. Cecchinato saved three double break points to hold serve for 3-4. Kecmanovic earned two set points in the ninth game after two double faults for Cecchinato. The Italian saved the first chance with his serve, but Kecmanovic broke serve on his second set point.
Kecmanovic broke serve in the second game and held on his serve to open up a 3-0 lead. The Serbian player went up a double break after three forehand errors from Cecchinato in the sixth game to race out to a 5-1 lead. Kecmanovic rallied from 15-40 down to serve out the second set at deuce after a forehand error from Cecchinato.
“It’s going to be fun. Miomir is a good friend of mine, one of my best friends on Tour. It’s going to be an exciting match. To play each other in the final for the first time in our career is going to be fun. He has been playing great. I have to be prepared for a tough match. He has been winning straight sets and killing everyone almost. I have to be ready and just hoping that I can play well and have fun in another final”, said Ruud.
Kecmanovic saved both break points and converted on four of his eight break points to reach his third ATP Tour final after Antalya 2019, Kitzbuhel 2020 and Delray Beach 2023.
The Serbian player has moved up to world number 34 in the ATP Live Ranking.
Kecmanovic also reached the doubles final alongside his compatriot Nikola Cacic. The Serbian team beat Gonzalo Escobar and Fabien Reboul 6-3 1-6 10-3.
