Advertising

MATCH POINT: Cerundolo sends Ruud packing

It has not been a fun week to be seeded No. 1 on the WTA or ATP tours to say the least.

On Tuesday, world No. 7 Danielle Collins blew three match points before losing her Lausanne opener to unheralded local favorite Simona Waltert. A day later, two more players atop their respective draws joined the 2022 Australian Open finalist in crashing out early.

Barbora Krejcikova just wrapped up her Wimbledon by clinching a fifth women’s doubles major title alongside Katerina Siniakova, but the transition back to clay in Budapest proved fruitless for the former Roland Garros champion. Wang Xiyu advanced Wednesday, 6-1, 7-6 (1), saving five of the six break points she faced as the Czech’s tough year on the singles court continues following an arm injury that sidelined her for three months.

To the north, Casper Ruud saw his Bastad title defense end at the first hurdle. Francisco Cerundolo exacted revenge on the Norwegian for winning their Miami semifinal, ousting this year’s French Open runner-up, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, for his first Top 10 win. The fifth-ranked Ruud is now just 1-4 since reaching his maiden major final in Paris.

The top seed at the ATP grass-court event in Newport, Félix Auger-Aliassime, later endured the same fate Thursday. In a match carried over from the previous evening due to darkness, Jason Kubler eliminated the world No. 9, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4).