GENEVA – with the best seeds Kacper Ruud started his Geneva Open title defense with a beat JJ Wolf 6-3, 7-5 in the second round on Wednesday.
Fourth ranked Ruud raised his career record to 9-0 in Geneva, where he has won back-to-back titles over the past two years. The clay court tournament is the last warm-up before the French Open. Ruud was runner-up there last year.
Ruud committed a double fault on his first match point chance against the 49th-ranked American before scoring a second forehand winner as he advanced to the net.
“This is a great victory for me. JJ is an aggressive, tough fighter,” said Ruud, who will face him Nicholas Jarry in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
Jarry advanced as his opponent, the sixth seed Hellenic Tallon Railwaythey withdrew before the game.
Second seeded Taylor Fritz wrestled in the first set of his 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win in the No. 74 all-American match Mark Giron.
Fritz’s quarterfinal opponent is Ilya Ivashkawho defeated the eighth seed Adriana Mannarino 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
Fourth seed Grigor Dimitrovwho got a wildcard in the Geneva draw, overtook Roberto Carballes Baena 6:1, 6:4 and advanced to the quarterfinals with 85 Christopher O’Connell Australia.
O’Connell was leading 6-0, 3-0 against Bernabe Zapata Miralles when the seventh-seeded Spaniard withdrew from the match.
