Casper Ruud beat Nuno Borges 7-6, 6-4 in the quarterfinal at the Paris Masters to reach the last four. On the indoor hard court, the Norwegian came through a tight opening set in a tiebreak before sealing the deal in the second.
Ruud edges a close opener
The first set remained fiercely contested all the way to the tiebreak. Casper Ruud kept his composure there and took it 7-5, claiming the set 7-6. Nuno Borges fought back but could never find the decisive edge against Ruud's forceful baseline game.
Both players struck ten aces apiece. Ruud landed 73 percent of his first serves and won 77 percent of points behind them. Borges got 70 percent of first serves in and won 81 percent of those points. The numbers reflected just how closely matched the two were early on.
Ruud pulls clear in the second set
In the second set, Casper Ruud made the most of his opportunities with greater conviction. He took the set 6-4 to secure his place in the next round. Ruud won 55 percent of games and claimed 51 percent of total points, while Borges took 45 percent of games and 49 percent of points.
Ruud also held a slight edge on return. He converted nine percent of return games and made his break points count completely. Borges won no return games. On serve, Ruud did not drop a single service game and fended off every break point he faced.
Borges brings a remarkable run to a close
For Nuno Borges, the defeat ended a stunning week in Paris. The Portuguese had entered the main draw as a lucky loser after falling in qualifying, and became the first lucky loser in the tournament's history to reach the quarterfinal. He had also beaten Ruud in their most recent meeting in Basel ahead of this match.
For Casper Ruud, the victory carried particular significance. At his eighth appearance at the Paris Masters, he has reached the semifinal for the very first time. His previous best run at the tournament had been a quarterfinal appearance in 2021. With this win, Ruud prevailed in his fifth career meeting with Borges and marched into the final four.
