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WATCH: Vit Kopriva made good in his first ATP main draw over top seed Shapovalov in Gstaad.

Casper Ruud surged into his seventh clay-court quarterfinal of 2021 at the Swiss Open on Thursday, dispatching Dennis Novak, 6-4, 7-6 (5) to open play on Roy Emerson Arena.

Ruud has won 21 of 26 matches played on clay this season and has won two titles in his last three clay-court outings, including the Nordea Open last week in Båstad. Against Novak, he advanced through razor-thin margins to secure victory in one hour and 36 minutes.

The Norwegian enjoyed a full-circle family moment in Båstad, winning a title in which his father finished runner-up in 1995.

“It was an incredible week, maybe the best week of my life,” Ruud said.

“Me and my father have been joking about when I am going to beat him at this and this, and now I think I have beaten him in everything!” he added during his championship speech. “The Ruud family can finally bring the trophy home to Norway. It is a special feeling having him here with me.”

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Ruud's lone clay-court letdown came at Roland Garros, where he fell in the third round to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (Getty Images).

Ruud's lone clay-court letdown came at Roland Garros, where he fell in the third round to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (Getty Images).

The 22-year-old suffered no let down in his Gstaad opener, securing the lone break of the opening set and easing ahead 6-3 in the second-set tiebreak before converting his third match point.

Seeded No. 3 this week, Ruud will next face No. 6 seed Benoit Paire after the mercurial Frenchman advanced over Tallon Griekspoor via retirement after winning the first set, 6-4.

Paire and Ruud last played in the first round of Roland Garros, where the latter triumphed in four sets to hand the hometown favorite an emotional exit.

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Me and my father have been joking about when I am going to beat him at this and this, and now I think I have beaten him in everything! Casper Ruud

Kopriva stuns Shapovalov in ATP debut

Denis Shapovalov’s follow-up to his Wimbledon semifinal finish ended in defeat later that afternoon when he fell to Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Kopriva was taking on a Top 20 player in his first career ATP main draw, and held off the heavy-hitting Canadian in a tense second set to sweep through the decider in one hour and 49 minutes.

Shapovalov broke new ground at the All England Club when he survived Karen Khachanov in a five-set quarterfinal classic and played eventual champ Novak Djokovic through three closet sets on Centre Court. Back on clay for the first time since finishing runner-up to Ruud in Geneva —having withdrawn from Roland Garros due to a shoulder injury—the world No. 10 tore through the opening set and gamely broke back after falling behind 0-3 in the second.

When Kopriva regained the initiative in the following game, the 24-year-old saved two break points to move ahead 5-2 and never looked back, serving out the final two sets with a loss of three points, combined.

A potential semifinal opponent for either Ruud or Paire, Kopriva will aim to make the most of his maiden ATP quarterfinal against Mikael Ymer. The unseeded Swede rallied from a set down to defeat No. 8 seed Feliciano Lopez, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (7), 6-4, saving two match points in the second-set tiebreak.