Sydney, Jan 1 Casper Ruud has led Norway to its first victory at this season's United Cup after winning both his singles and mixed doubles matches against Croatia on Monday.
After a convincing singles win over Borna Coric, the former World No. 2 teamed with Ulrikke Eikeri to clinch the decisive mixed doubles rubber with a 6-2 3-6, 10-7 win over Donna Vekic and Ivan Dodig.
“I was pretty fresh from the singles so I was still warm and my shoulder was feeling fine,” Ruud said to Tennis Australia. “We were playing for the win. We were close I think against the Netherlands. It was another close mixed doubles match, it went against our favour. So we tried to come out here and win this one and luckily we did. It was great. It was really fun to play with Ulrikke and I hope we could play more in the future.”
The tight match turned at 7-all in the match tie-break when Ruud nailed a backhand return down the line as Dodig tried to poach. The World No. 11 then closed out the match on his own serve.
“Well that was close,” Eikeri said. “Casper was playing so well at the end. I’m just really happy we were able to pull through.”
The pair's only previous Lexus ATP Head-to-Head meeting came in the 2019 St. Petersburg quarter-finals, which Coric won in three sets. Ruud did not allow his opponent to battle back again, dominating behind his first serve (88 per cent points won) and winning 43 per cent of his return points.
After missing out of the Nitto ATP Finals in 2023, Ruud has begun his chase for a Turin return on the right foot and is scheduled to return to the court with Ulrikke Eikeri against Ivan Dodig and Vekic.
Vekic got Croatia’s campaign at the 2024 United Cup off to a winning start when she overcame Helgo. The World No. 23 needed two hours and 49 minutes to battle past 539th-ranked Helgo in their first meeting, giving her country a pivotal 1-0 lead in their clash with the Norwegians.
"Finally my serve showed up in the third set, which made it easier,” Vekic said. “To win such a long, tough match after the health and fitness struggles I had in the second half of last year is great. I really worked a lot in the off season."
Vekic is now 4-0 in United Cup play throughout her career. At the inaugural edition last season, the Croat won all three of her matches in straight sets.
It was Helgo, though, who raced to a 5-2 lead in the first set before Vekic won the next eight points to get back on serve. Vekic then had to stave off two set points at 5-4 with pinpoint aggression. After getting out of that jam, Vekic took control and squeaked out the 81-minute opener.
However, Helgo notched another big lead in the second set, where she also led 5-2. This time around, the Norwegian was able to close, converting her fourth set point with a service winner and leveling the encounter.
Vekic turned the match back around in her favor in the third set. The 27-year-old slammed a forehand winner to break Helgo at love for 4-2, and she converted her second match point at 5-3 with an additional forehand winner.
Helgo falls to 0-2 this week, having already lost to Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands earlier in the event. Helgo’s contest with Vekic was only her second career match against a Top 25 player -- her first came at the United Cup last year, when she lost to Beatriz Haddad Maia.
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