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Casper Ruud's remarkable tweener lob, which he executed to perfection against Alexander Bublik at the 2023 Swiss Indoors Basel, has left tennis fans thoroughly impressed.
Ruud made a successful start to his campaign at the ATP 500 event, securing a dominant 7-6(5), 6-2 victory over Bublik. With his win, the 24-year-old improved to 6-1 in his head-to-head record against the Kazakh.
In a closely contested opening set, the World No. 8 clinched the tiebreak on his third set point. After Bublik secured a 2-0 lead in the second set, the Norwegian raised his level, winning six consecutive games to advance to the second round in Basel.
Casper Ruud showcased his brilliance early in the second set, skillfully chasing down a dropshot struck by Bublik before pulling off an incredible tweener lob which landed precisely on the line.
Tennis fans were left in awe of the 24-year-old's masterful execution, with one fan marveling at the remarkable abilities of professional tennis players.
"Professional tennis is f**king insane," the fan commented.
Another fan said that even Alexander Bublik seemed impressed by the World No. 8's shot.
"Even Bublik was delighted lol," the fan posted.
In addition to his incredible tweener lob, Casper Ruud's distinctive sprinting style, characterized by his flailing arms when approaching a drop shot, also captured the attention of fans.
"Sure, the lob is great, but I’m mostly here for the “Casper running for a dropshot” arm flail at 0:07," a fan wrote.
"The way he runs I can't," another fan chimed in.
Here are a few more fan reactions:
Casper Ruud to lock horns with Dominic Stricker in Swiss Indoors Basel 2R
Following his win over Alexander Bublik, Casper Ruud will square off against home favorite Dominic Stricker for a place in the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 event. Stricker secured a 7-6(2), 6-2 win over qualifier Benjamin Hassan to book his spot against the second seed.
Ruud will aim to continue his winning ways in Basel in order to secure vital points in his quest for a spot in the 2023 ATP Finals. With Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner having already qualified for the year-end championships, only four spots are still up for grabs.
The Norwegian currently occupies the 11th spot in the ATP Race to Turin, with 2,815 points to his name. The eighth spot, which guarantees qualification, is held by Holger Rune, with 3,145 points, leaving Ruud with a 330-point deficit to overcome.
Casper Ruud gave a strong performance at the ATP Finals last year. Despite suffering a defeat to Rafael Nadal in the group stage, he advanced to the semifinals by securing victories over Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz.
He then triumphed over Andrey Rublev, earning his spot in the final. Djokovic defeated the 24-year-old in straight sets in the title clash to clinch his sixth ATP Finals title, equaling Roger Federer's record.
