Casper Ruud, whose dad won Houston, now carries Norwegian tennis flag

Casper Ruud is the first Norwegian player to crack the Top 100 since his father, Christian, did so in the 1990s. His closest compatriot in the ATP rankings is Viktor Durasovic, more than 350 spots down the ladder at No. 364. He's unquestionably proud of his Scandinavian roots.

But Ruud is a worldly 20-year-old. His favorite playing surface isn't indoor hard courts, but rather outdoor clay. His idol is Rafael Nadal, and he's trained at the Spaniard's academy in Mallorca. He loves the United States; his grandparents had a vacation home in Florida. Ruud likes to get out of his comfort zones to find new ones, which might be a way to describe clay-court tennis.

It didn't come as a shock to see Ruud post his best showings of the still-young season on dirt, in South America. Ruud entered all four tournaments in the ATP's Golden Swing—Cordoba, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo—posting quarterfinal and semifinal results at the Brazilian events in February. This week, in Houston, Rudd returns to his preferred surface, and also to a location dear to his family. His father won a title at River Oaks in 1996.

If Casper is to match his fathers' achievement at the venerable Houston club at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship, Christian will have a front-row seat for the trophy ceremony. He's now his coach.

For more on Casper Ruud, watch Tennis Channel's interview with the Norwegian, from the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship in Houston.