He said: “Well, you know, I was close from the baseline. I was trying to come in as much as possible, take the balls early, approach most of my shots. You know, I guess that was his initial reaction, to start rushing and go for more.
“I saw that, and, you know, obviously I feel like he would realize that and would switch up his game and change a few things, which he eventually did in the second set.”
Speaking on the second set, where Ruud was able to gain some momentum, he added: “It also took some time for me to get back into the game after leaving the court for a few minutes.
“Yeah, it was very close to being an excellent game. My intentions were clear from the very beginning. I was not doubting myself in any way and kept things simple. Just played clean, aggressive tennis.”
