Emil Ruusuvuori

[Barty]

Ruusuvuori, Brooksby Wins Among Biggest ATP Tour Upsets Of 2021

5) Miami Open presented by Itau, Second Round, Emil Ruusuvuori d. Alexander Zverev 1-6, 6-3, 6-1

As tournament debuts go, they don’t get much better than Emil Ruusuvuori’s at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

The Finn had edged past #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in his first-round match to set up a clash against the in-form Alexander Zverev, who had just won the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC title.

Prior to the match, World No. 83 Ruusuvuori had earned just one Top 10 victory in his career, with that coming against Dominic Thiem in Davis Cup play in 2019. The task of facing then-World No. 7 Alexander Zverev looked to be a daunting one, and it proved that way in the opening stages.

Zverev made a fast start, racing ahead to clinch the opener as his powerful ball striking forced Ruusuvuori into errors. However, with the pressure off, the 22-year-old remained calm and changed up tactics to impose himself on the match.

In the second set, Ruusuvuori varied his game plan and took the ball early, increasingly moving forward to finish points at the net when given the opportunity. Ruusuvuori broke Zverev four times in the set to level, before he maintained this tactic in the decider to shock the 19-time tour-level titlist after two hours and five minutes for his biggest career win.

"I don't even know myself [how I turned this match around]," Ruusuvuori said in his on-court interview. "I wasn't feeling very comfortable in the first set and I was making a lot of unforced errors. But slowly in the second I was starting to feel a bit better...

“Of course, it's one of the biggest wins in my career, so it feels good."

It was the first time Ruusuvuori reached the third round at a tour-level event this season and just the second time he had made the third round at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament. The 22-year-old would go on to overcome Swede Mikael Ymer in the third round, before falling to Jannik Sinner.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/biggest ... -to-3-2021

[Damian]

[Damian]

[Damian]

Molcan now plays Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori, who battled past Jordan Thompson of Australia 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-3 in two hours and 50 minutes. At one point, Ruusuvuori led by a set and 4-2.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/cressy- ... 2-thursday

[Damian]

[Damian]

Top seed will next play Ruusuvuori

Spoiler:

Finland's top player advanced to the semi-finals with a 6-2, 6-1 victory against 24-year-old Alex Molcan. Ruusuvuori saved the two break points he faced to triumph after 68 minutes.

This will be the World No. 95's first ATP Head2Head clash against Nadal, who is pursuing his 88th tour-level title. The Spaniard last lifted a trophy at last year's Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-m ... 022-friday

[Damian]

[Bombardiero]

[Bombardiero]

[Bombardiero]

[Bombardiero]

[Damian]

[Bombardiero]

[Bombardiero]

[Bombardiero]

[Bombardiero]

[Damian]

[Damian]

In other action, sixth seed Emil Ruusuvuori clawed through a tight second set to defeat Belarusian Egor Gerasimov 6-0, 7-6(11). The Finnish star will next face Czech Vit Kopriva, who eliminated Turkey’s Cem Ilkel 6-4, 6-1.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/vukic-r ... 22-tuesday

[Damian]

[robpal]