Ruud holds every service game against Struff to set up Borges rematch in Paris

Norway’s Casper Ruud did not face a break point on Thursday as he beat Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-3 in 1 hour 4 minutes to reach the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters 1000. Ruud will next face lucky loser Nuno Borges, who beat Ignacio Buse 6-0, 6-2 to reach the last eight.

It is his second quarter-final at this event, after 2021, and it lifts him from No. 22 to No. 19 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, according to the ATP media notes.

How Ruud beat Struff without facing a break point

Struff held to love for 2-2 in the opening set, but Ruud broke two games later on his second break point to lead 4-2. He sealed the match with a third break, converting his first match point with Struff serving at 3-5.

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Ruud held all nine of his service games and won 81% of points on his first serve (29/36), against 59% for Struff. He struck eight aces and made seven unforced errors, while Struff made 12.

Ruud faces Borges next in Paris

Ruud began his week at the Rolex Paris Masters with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo, before beating Spain’s Rafael Jodar 6-3, 6-4. He and Borges have split their four meetings on tour. Borges won the most recent one 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the last 16 in Basel in October. The quarter-final gives Ruud a chance to reverse that result.

Struff, 36, missed the chance to become the second-oldest quarter-finalist in the history of the event. The German had arrived in Paris after reaching the final in Brussels, where Tallon Griekspoor beat him 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, and the semi-finals in Basel. This week he had beaten France’s Arthur Gea 7-6 (3), 6-3 and Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (3).

Rolex Paris Masters 2026 third-round results

Luca Van Assche d. Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
Rinky Hijikata (Q) d. Tomas Martin Etcheverry 2-6, 6-3, 7-5
Ben Shelton (3) d. Arthur Rinderknech 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5)
Tommy Paul (12) d. Quentin Halys 7-6 (3), 6-4
Casper Ruud d. Jan-Lennard Struff (SE) 6-3, 6-3
Nuno Borges (LL) d. Ignacio Buse 6-0, 6-2
Taylor Fritz (11) d. Arthur Fils (6) 6-3, 6-4
Carlos Alcaraz (2) d. Matteo Berrettini w/o

In bold: today’s results.