"Ruud can play with one eye closed on clay and still lift the trophy" - Tennis fans react to Casper Ruud winning his 8th ATP Tour title on clay at Swiss Open 2022

Casper Ruud further asserted himself as a claycourt specialist by clinching the 2022 Swiss Open title in Gstaad with a thrilling victory over Matteo Berrettini on Sunday. The Norwegian youngster, for whom the 2022 season has already proved to be the best of his professional career, left tennis fans in awe by winning his eighth ATP title on clay.

Of the nine ATP titles Ruud has won at the young age of 23, the fact that eight have come on the same surface (all ATP 250s) serves as a glowing testament to his claycourt prowess. After going a set down against the Italian, Ruud faced two break points in the third game of the second set and looked on the verge of defeat, but stormed back to win 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 and get his hands on the silverware.

The Swiss Open is his third title in 2022, a season that has also seen him reach the finals of the French Open and the Miami Open. His two other titles came in Buenos Aires and Geneva, both claycourt tournaments.

Ruud's Swiss Open title run drew varied reactions from tennis fans, who applauded the Norwegian's impressive win on Sunday for the most part.

"Ruud can play with one eye closed on clay and still lift the trophy," one fan wrote on Twitter.

While Carlos Alcaraz has shown his claycourt skills this season and Rafael Nadal's legacy on the surface is well known, Casper Ruud has cemented his name as among the very best on clay at the moment. The next step for him, as some opined, is to prove himself on other surfaces as well, with the upcoming North American hardcourt swing serving as a great opportunity.

"That's impressive Casper Ruud only 23 now has nine ATP singles titles. This is good. The next step for Casper is to win a title ot titles above the 250 level. He can do it. His winning record in finals shows his ability to handle pressure," another fan expressed.

Here are some more reactions from tennis fans on social media after Casper Ruud successfully defended his Swiss Open title:

Casper Ruud withdraws from Generali Open in Kitzbuhel

2022 French Open - Day Fifteen

After a grueling Swiss Open campaign, World No. 5 Casper Ruud has withdrawn from the Generali Open in Kitzbuhel, another ATP250 claycourt event where he is the defending champion. Ruud won the event in 2021, one of his five titles last season and the fifth of his career. The Norwegian's withdrawal confirmed the entry of two lucky losers in the main draw for the tournament in Austria.

Meanwhile, Ruud improved his tour-level win/loss record in Switzerland to 16-0, meaning he is still unbeaten in ATP tournaments in the country with title runs in the last two editions of both the Swiss Open and the Geneva Open. Ruud reflected on his success in those tournaments, expressing how the legacy of Swiss greats Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka gives him an extra dose of inspiration to perform well in their homeland.

“I think Switzerland is a country with a lot of history now in tennis, winning a lot of Grand Slams with Roger [Federer] and Stan [Wawrinka] the last 18 or 19 years. So it’s been an inspiration to everyone around the world, including myself, that they are able to come from a small country, sort of like Norway. Everything about Switzerland reminds me a little bit about Norway," Casper Ruud said in his on-court interview.

Ruud will now aim to have a strong hardcourt season and turn around his fortunes at the US Open, where he lost in the second round last year.