Ruud recovers from Rome mauling for winning start at French Open
PARIS :Twice runner-up Casper Ruud put a heavy defeat in the build-up to the French Open behind him and began his bid to reach another Roland Garros final with a 6-3 6-4 6-2 first-round victory over Spanish qualifier Albert Ramos Vinolas on Monday.
Ruud warmed up for the Grand Slam by becoming the first Norwegian winner of a Masters 1000 title at the Madrid Open before the 26-year-old's momentum ground to a halt after a 6-0 6-1 hammering by Jannik Sinner in the Rome quarter-finals.
The 2022 and 2023 Paris finalist showed why red clay remains his natural habitat despite that harsh reality check as he eased past Ramos Vinolas on Court Simonne Mathieu.
"New day, new week, new tournament. Of course, I got a good beating by Jannik in Rome. That's long erased from the memory," Ruud told reporters.
"I'm happy to get going with a win again. I hope I can continue to build on it for the next matches and days here at Roland Garros.
"It's nice to get it done in three straight sets."
Victory on the back of a flawless display earned Ruud a second-round meeting with Portugal's Nuno Borges and ended the Roland Garros career of 2016 quarter-finalist Ramos Vinolas, who is set to call time on his career this season.
"I've played Albert many times before. In the beginning of my career, I was really struggling to find a way to beat him. I struggle a bit more with lefties," Ruud said.
"He's a very experienced player, played a way that I wasn't so comfortable with. I always have that in the back of my mind, knowing it'll be a tough match."
Ruud came into the match looking to inflict a fifth straight defeat on 37-year-old Ramos Vinolas in the pair's eighth meeting and he got off to a solid start, winning the opening set on the back of solitary break.
Ramos Vinolas recovered a loss of serve early in the second set to give himself a fighting chance for a comeback, but faded away quickly as Ruud raised his level.
A crosscourt backhand winner gave last year's semi-finalist Ruud another break at 3-2 and the seventh seed used the platform to double his lead before comfortably closing out the victory with another strong display in the third set.
"I'm very happy with my level," Ruud added.
"I'm sad for him knowing it's his last (French Open). He's had a great career and many things to be proud of."
