Draper and Ruud to Compete in Madrid Masters Final

Jack Draper and Casper Ruud will face off in the final of the Madrid Masters 1,000 (Sunday, 18:30). The Briton, arguably the player showcasing the best tennis over the past two weeks, will vie for his second major title of the season after winning Indian Wells, following his victory over Lorenzo Musetti with scores of 6-3 and 7-6 (4). Meanwhile, Ruud managed to secure his place in the final after a lacklustre match against Francisco Cerúndolo, winning 6-4 and 7-5.

Draper, who has already secured a spot among the world's top five players by the end of the tournament, has not lost a single set all week. Ruud, too, has not dropped a set, though he capitalised on Cerúndolo's weak performance to confirm his third Masters 1,000 final.

The Norwegian caused some concern at the start of the match, requesting a physio due to discomfort in his chest and back. However, he completed the match without issues, defeating Cerúndolo, who struggled with break points. The Argentine, who had previously defeated Alexander Zverev, only converted 3 out of 18 break points, a statistic that makes winning at this level nearly impossible. Despite having a break advantage in both sets, Cerúndolo failed to capitalise, allowing Ruud, not at his best, to secure a victory that revitalises his season. The final guarantees him a rise of five places in the rankings, returning him to the top 10, with the potential to finish as the world's seventh if he wins the title at the Manolo Santana next Sunday.

Draper, on the other hand, ended the run of one of the tournament's sensations, Musetti, in another impressive match by the Londoner. He has yet to lose a set, proving that his forehand and serve are formidable not only on fast courts but also on clay.

After his triumph in Indian Wells two months ago, Draper will aim for his first clay court title this Sunday. In fact, he has only won fifteen ATP-level matches on this surface, and prior to Madrid, he had never reached a final.

Additionally, Spanish tennis has reason to celebrate as Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos won their semi-final match against Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz on Saturday. They will compete for the doubles title on Saturday, before the women's final, against Marcelo Arévalo and Mate Pavic, the current world number ones. This could be the second title in Madrid for Granollers and Zeballos, who previously triumphed on these courts in 2021 and were crowned world number ones here last year.