Casper Ruud navigates windy conditions to win clay-court return in Bastad

Playing his first match on clay since finishing runner-up to Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros, world No. 4 Casper Ruud comfortably advanced in Bastad Thursday.

The Norwegian sailed through, 6-2, 6-4, against Alexander Shevchenko at the Nordea Open. Ruud shook off a double-fault at the start of the match to build an initial 3-0 lead. Though he went down an early break in the second set after misfiring on a pair of forehands, the 24-year-old navigated his breezy surroundings to get through after 78 minutes.

“It was difficult with the wind,” Ruud told the crowd. “Today, sometimes it kind of changed all the time. That makes a little challenging. Wind grabs the ball a little bit. But I’m used to it. We have wind in Norway as well. It’s not like it’s only Sweden.”

A year ago here, Ruud was also the No. 1 seed but was sent packing in his opener by Francisco Cerundolo. He is seeking his second title of the season, having triumphed in Estoril for his 10th career crown—all at the ATP 250 level.

For a place in the semifinals, Ruud meets Sebastian Ofner. The Austrian overcame Bernabe Zapata Miralles, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, to maintain his run of form. Last week, Ofner captured the ATP Challenger Tour trophy in Salzburg, winning 10 of 11 sets.

Fifth seed Alexander Zverev rolled over Thiago Monteiro, 6-1, 6-0, to join Ruud—the competitor who ended his Roland Garros semifinal run—in the last eight. On Wednesday, it was reported that Zverev is facing a potential penalty order after a Berlin prosecutor requested one for bodily harm against ex-girlfriend Brenda Patea. Zverev is yet to comment on the allegation.

The German will meet tour mate Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals. The No. 2 seed closed out play with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory over qualifier Pavel Kotov.