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The 2022 ATP Korea Open picked up steam on Thursday as top seed Casper Ruud locked horns with qualifier Nicolas Jarry in the second round. Taking on the Chilean in front of a packed crowd in Seoul, Ruud appeared to be cruising into the quarterfinals after taking the first set 6-2.
A minor lapse in concentration saw the Norwegian lose the second set 3-6, before finally finding his feet in the deciding set to wrap up the contest 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Among the thousands of Korean fans watching, K-pop superstar and boy band BTS' member Kim Seok-jin, better known by his stage name Jin, was also in attendance.
Clips and photos of Jin at the tournament immediately went viral on social media, with many k-pop fans excited to catch sight of one of their favorites enjoying himself in his daily life.
Jin also received massive cheers from the fans at the stadium when he was shown on the big screen, which is not surprising by any means considering the staggering level of popularity K-pop stars have across the globe.
Casper Ruud takes on Yoshihito Nishioka in the quarterfinals of the Korea Open
Following his victory over Nicolas Jarry, Casper Ruud will cross paths with Yoshihito Nishioka in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Korea Open. The Japanese star, unseeded in the event, defeated fifth seed Dan Evans in the first round before dispatching off compatriot Taro Daniel in the second to set up a meeting with the World No. 2.
Ruud beat Nishioka in their only previous meeting on the ATP Tour, wrapping up their clash at the 2021 Madrid Open in straight sets. A victory against the Japanese once again on Friday would pit him against either Mackenzie McDonald or Aleksandar Kovacevic in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, the bottom half of the draw is far more stacked, with second seed Cameron Norrie, fourth seed Denis Shapovalov and eighth seed Jenson Brooksby having all made the quarterfinals. Norrie and Shapovalov are the favorites to reach the semifinals, with the former scheduled against Brooksby and the latter taking on Radu Albot on Friday.
If Casper Ruud manages to win the title in Seoul on Sunday, it will mark his fourth title of the year and the 10th of his career. So far in 2022, the Norwegian has won trophies in Gstaad, Geneva and Buenos Aires, meaning that the Korea Open title could becoming his first non-clay title of the season.
