Geneva, May 19 (IANS) Geneva Open saw a confident start from Casper Ruud on Tuesday, as the clay-court specialist continued his strong European swing with a straight-sets win over Jenson Brooksby to move into the second round in Switzerland.

The world No. 17 needed just 92 minutes to secure a 6-3, 7-5 victory, using his trademark heavy topspin and baseline control to dictate play throughout a match that never fully escaped his grip.

Ruud’s latest win comes during a busy and productive clay stretch in which he has rediscovered rhythm after a demanding schedule. Only days earlier, he reached a high-profile final in Rome, where he was defeated by world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who recently became just the second player in history to complete the Career Golden Masters.

Despite the quick turnaround, Ruud appeared physically fresh and tactically sharp in Geneva, striking 21 winners while limiting himself to just 12 unforced errors as he controlled key phases of the match.

Brooksby, ranked No. 60, struggled to find consistency on clay once again. The American has now suffered five consecutive defeats on the surface this season, with the slower conditions continuing to expose the limitations of his defensive game. Although he showed stronger form earlier in the year on hard courts, including a quarterfinal run in February, he was unable to replicate that level in Switzerland.

Ruud, a two-time French Open finalist, has an exceptional record in Geneva, having previously won three titles at the ATP 250 event. He will next face either Adrian Mannarino or Raphael Collignon as he looks to extend his strong clay-court momentum.

“This stretch of tournaments is quite a lot, but they are nice tournaments, and I like playing here. I like playing on clay. I try to use the clay season the most I can, and every time I come to Geneva, I have a good result at Roland Garros, so let’s hope to keep that tradition going,” Rudd said after the game.

Elsewhere on Day 3, Alexei Popyrin survived a tight three-set battle against French qualifier Clement Tabur, eventually prevailing 7-6(2), 6-7(5), 6-4 to book a second-round meeting with top seed Taylor Fritz.

Fritz is returning to competition for the first time since March in Miami and will be tested immediately after Popyrin’s gritty performance.

Eighth seed Jaume Munar also progressed routinely, dismantling American qualifier Nishesh Basavareddy 6-0, 6-3 in just 75 minutes. The Spaniard will next face Argentina’s Francisco Comesana as the draw begins to take shape.

–IANS

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