(Reuters) – Norway’s Casper Ruud said he made the “perfect start” to the 2022 season after winning his seventh ATP tour title at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires on Sunday.
Ruud bounced back from a shaky start to defeat local favourite Diego Schwartzman 5-7 6-2 6-3 and win the tournament for the second time after his triumph in 2020.
Schwartzman had ended a 13-year wait for an Argentine champion with his 2021 title but he could not repeat those heroics against Ruud.
“It means a lot,” Ruud said. “I think this is the perfect start and it will give me confidence for the rest of the season and also for the next weeks when I am here in South America.”
Ruud did not play at the Argentina Open last year and the 23-year-old came into the event this year following an ankle injury that forced his late withdrawal from the Australian Open.
“Coming into the week, I was here to try to defend the title not from last year but 2020 … if I didn’t defend it, I would have lost points in the rankings,” Ruud added.
“I was a bit nervous and it was the first time I had to do this in my career. I was successful so it feels very good and it’s good to have the trophy in my hands like I had two years ago.”
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Stephen Coates)
