It was the jolt of confidence Zverev needed, as his level picked up from that point forward. The two-time ATP Finals champion quickly fell behind 15-40, but saved the first break point with a closing backhand volley, then reached back for a 100 m.p.h. When set two opened, it appeared the sixth seed would carry his momentum over. It was all Ruud needed, using a high first-serve percentage, his legs and crosscourt forehand to build an initial lead. Zverev, who pulled at the right side of his neck in the early goings, provided consecutive unforced errors from deuce in the fourth game to drop serve. Ruud came out locked in with that part of his game, a quality that allowed the 23-year-old to assert himself on the baseline from the get-go. "I can thank my serving for the win today," Ruud said afterwards. 8 will now be favored to reach a maiden Masters 1000 final against 103rd-ranked Francisco Cerundolo. His adjustment to a match scenario in the decider proved significant after missing an opportunity to go up a break at the start of the second set, and the world No. 2 seed, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, with a well-rounded performance. On Wednesday night at the Miami Open, the Norwegian turned the tables to eliminate the No. The first two times Casper Ruud faced Alexander Zverev, both in the quarterfinal stage of Masters 1000 events at Cincinnati and Paris last season, he was handed straight-set defeats.
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