Casper Ruud started where he left off last year, beating Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro 6-3, 6-2 in the first men’s singles match of the New Year to boost Norway at the United Cup mixed teams championship in Brisbane.
Ruud had a successful year last year, rising as high as No. 2 in world rankings before closing out at No. 3 after reaching the championship match at the ATP finals. His start to last season in Australia was less memorable: He injured his ankle in training and was forced out of the Australian Open a day before his first-round match.
Yesterday, Ruud had only a few anxious moments before taking out a must-win match for Norway against Brazil. Norway was 2-0 down when he took the court against Montiero at Brisbane’s Pat Rafter Arena; he left victorious 72 minutes later, improving his record against Montiero to 3-0.
Photo: AFP
After a comfortable win the in the first set, Ruud went 2-0 down in the second, before sweeping six straight games to clinch his win.
“It was a must-win, so I was maybe feeling the pressure a little bit, but I was able to come out with a good start and starting the New Year in tennis down in Australia feels great,” Ruud said.
“I always feel very motivated coming down here playing in Australia,” he said. “Last year was a bit unfortunate. I was not able to play in the Australian Open. I rolled my ankle the day before my first round, so I’m very eager to hopefully have a good start of the season down here, and this is a perfect way for me to start another year on tour.”
Ruud’s win only delayed Norway’s eventual defeat in Group E. Laura Pigossi beat Ulrikke Eikeri 6-3, 6-4 later in the day to give Brazil a winning 3-1 lead.
Meanwhile, former Wimbledon champion and Australian Open finalist Petra Kvitova beat Laura Siegemund 6-4, 6-2 to give the Czech Republic an unassailable 3-0 lead over Germany in their Group C match in Sydney.
The match was closer than the scoreline suggests. Siegemund generated 11 break points — Kvitova saved nine — and Kvitova overcame 10 double faults to clinch the tie.
Champagne corks often pop and loud, boisterous cheers are usually heard around Constitution Dock when the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race line honors winner finishes in the Tasmanian state capital. There were no such celebrations this year when the defending champions on board LawConnect won the race in the early hours of yesterday morning, as it came about 24 hours after two sailors died on separate boats in sail boom accidents two hours apart on a storm-ravaged first night of the race. LawConnect, a 100-foot super maxi skippered by Australian tech millionaire Christian Beck, sailed up the River Derwent at just after 2:30am.
Elena Rybakina’s Kazakhstan yesterday dumped defending champions Germany out of the United Cup with world No. 2 Alexander Zverev sidelined by an arm injury barely a week away from the Australian Open. The upset in Perth sent the Kazakhs into the semi-finals of the 18-nation tournament. In Sydney, women’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek led Poland into the last eight by winning a rematch of her 2023 French Open final against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic. Britain also progressed to the quarter-finals with Katie Boulter’s dominant 6-2, 6-1 victory over Australia’s Olivia Gadecki enough to guarantee they won their group. The US and
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Chess great Magnus Carlsen on Friday quit the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in New York after governing body FIDE barred the Norwegian from participating in a round at the tournament for wearing jeans. FIDE said in a statement that its dress code regulations were designed to “ensure professionalism and fairness for all participants.” It issued Carlsen a US$200 fine and gave him an opportunity to change into the correct attire, which the world No. 1 rejected, it said. Carlsen said he had a lunch meeting before the round and had to change quickly. “I put on a shirt, jacket and honestly like
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