BUENOS AIRES (AP) - Casper Ruud clinched his first title by beating lucky loser Pedro Sousa 6-1, 6-4 in the Argentina Open final on Sunday. He is the first Norwegian to win an ATP tour title, organizers of the Buenos Aires tournament said.
The 21-year-old Ruud didn’t face a break point in his nine service games and broke his Portuguese opponent three times.
Eighth-seeded Ruud reached the final after beating Argentine Juan Ignácio Londero in the semifinals.
The 31-year-old Sousa, ranked 145th, had a walkover in his semifinal against top-seeded Diego Schwartzman. Souza , who struggled in the first set due to a left foot injury, predicted Ruud had won “the first of many titles.”
The Norwegian thanked his team and also Sousa. “I have practiced with them over the last three years,” Ruud said.
Ruud is the youngest winner of the tournament in its 20-year history.
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