World No. 8 Casper Ruud knocked out by qualifier Marcos Giron at Japan Open
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World No. 8 Casper Ruud's Asian swing ended with a 6-3, 6-4 defeat by 79th-ranked American Marcos Giron in Tokyo on Wednesday.
PHOTO: AFP
TOKYO – Norway’s Casper Ruud said his trip to Asia was “not what I was really hoping for” after exiting the Japan Open with a second-round defeat by qualifier Marcos Giron on Wednesday.
The world No. 8, who reached 2023’s French Open final, lost in the China Open quarter-finals before bowing out in the last 16 of the Shanghai Masters earlier in October.
Ruud’s Asian swing ended with a 6-3, 6-4 defeat by American world No. 79 Giron in Tokyo but he tried to stay positive, noting his fall at the first hurdle in the 2022 tournament.
“I think it went better than last year, so what can you say. I played better than last year, for sure,” said the tournament’s second seed.
“Maybe not what I was really hoping for and kind of what I needed. But there’s still a couple of weeks to go and I’ll keep my head high and try to fight in the last couple of weeks of the year.”
Ruud had to work hard to beat Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki in a 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 first-round win on Tuesday night.
He said he was “never able to get into a rhythm” against Giron in a match that lasted just 1hr 20min.
“I tried to play the same level as I did yesterday – maybe I wasn’t able to but it’s OK, it’s not always easy to shift from one day to the other with different opponents,” said Ruud. “I wasn’t able to be ready enough for his game and counter his game.”
Giron’s reward is a quarter-final meeting with Canada’s eighth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who beat Austria’s Sebastian Ofner 6-4, 6-1.
Auger-Aliassime rallied from a break down in the first set before racing away in the second, winning the final six games of the match.
“I need results like this,” said the world No. 17. “I believe in my game and I believe in myself that I have what it takes to win at this level.
“I have done it before but it is about doing it and having a lot of belief and a positive mind. I am happy that my level is translating to the match court.”
Meanwhile, China’s Zhang Zhizhen built on his Asian Games success in September by eliminating Shanghai Masters champion Hubert Hurkacz on Wednesday morning.
Zhang won 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) as the Pole joined German third seed Alexander Zverev and American sixth seed Frances Tiafoe as the early casualties.
Fifth seed Tommy Paul beat fellow American Mackenzie McDonald 6-4, 6-2 to progress in his tournament debut.
Paul said the “very fast” Tokyo court was to his liking.
“The fast ones are a little bit more fun because you can really take advantage of well-struck shots and get to the net,” said the 26-year-old.
“It’s quicker points, your serve is a little bit more effective.”
In the quarter-finals, he will meet US Open semi-finalist Ben Shelton, who disposed of Australia’s Jordan Thompson 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-3 on Wednesday night. AFP
