LAS VEGAS, October 26, 2018 (by Steve Pratt)

The way Casper Ruud continues to play, he’s going to end 2018 the way every player on the pro tour wants to end the year: with a tournament title.

The 19-year-old No. 3-seed from Norway, who turned pro in 2015, advanced to the quarterfinals at the Las Vegas Tennis Open on Thursday with a 6-3, 6-2 win over former Michigan All-American Evan King. Ruud said he will return to Oslo after this week’s event and take a long-needed vacation before beginning training on the island of Mallorca at Rafael Nadal’s academy off the coast of Spain.

“I came from the indoor courts in Calgary where I made the semifinals, and I want to end the year on a high note by winning it all here in Vegas,” said Ruud, who played in all four major Grand Slams in 2018.

Ruud will next face Kamil Majchrzak of Poland in the quarterfinals on Friday. Majchrzak, who beat defending champion Stefan Kozlov in the first round giving up just two games, will be joined by John-Patrick Smith and Jason Jung who were the other Round of 16 winners on Thursday in the tournament being played at the Fertitta Tennis Complex at UNLV.

Ruud said he’s liking the fast hardcourt surfaces and heat of Las Vegas. “The ball bounces high and there’s good bite on the surface,” he said.

Ruud was part of the Norwegian Davis Cup team in 2015 is the son of former pro player Christian Ruud.

Ruud has hit several times against one of the all-time greats Nadal. “He’s taken an interest in me since I started training there and asks me how I’m doing,” Ruud said. “He’s very focused an all about business on the court, but off it he’s very nice and humble. He’s just a great guy.”

On Semifinal Saturday, Oct. 27, the USTA Foundation will hold a Net Generation Tennis Clinic in partnership with the impact barter startuphave|need (haveneed.org). The Andre Agassi Foundation for Education and area National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) chapters will receive new tennis racquets as part of the clinic.

LAS VEGAS TENNIS OPEN – LAS VEGAS
$50,000, 22-28 OCTOBER 2018

RESULTS – OCTOBER 25, 2018
Men’s Singles – Second Round
[3] C. Ruud (NOR) d [LL] E. King (USA) 63 62
[4] J. Jung (TPE) d [Q] R. Ortega-Olmedo (ESP) 64 64
K. Majchrzak (POL) d [8] M. Arevalo (ESA) 26 61 64
J. Smith (AUS) d C. Ilkel (TUR) 63 61

Men’s Doubles – Quarterfinals
D. King (BAR) / N. Rubin (USA) d [2] M. Reid (AUS) / J. Smith (AUS) 46 76(6) 14-12
[4] R. Galloway (USA) / N. Pasha (USA) d L. Harris (RSA) / R. Roelofse (RSA) 62 76(5)