Ruud upset in Monaco by qualifier Struff | The Express Tribune
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MONTE CARLO: French Open finalist Casper Ruud bowed out of the Monte Carlos Masters on Thursday suffering a 6-1, 7-6 (8/6) third-round defeat to German Jan-Lennard Struff who has beaten the Norwegian on all three occasions they have met. The 100th-ranked Struff -- who came through the qualifiers -- will play the winner of the all-Russian battle between Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov in the quarter-finals. Ruud was on a run of nine successive victories on clay -- having won in Gstaad last July and then Estoril last Sunday -- but he looked out of sorts in Monaco. The world number four -- who also reached the US Open final last year -- saved two match points and battle back from 5-2 down to lead 6-5 in the second set but Struff levelled. The German then took a hard fought tie-break -- Ruud saving a third match point -- when the Norwegian sent a return out to reach the last eight. Ruud was not the only Grand Slam losing finalist to exit in the last 16. Matteo Berre