Norwegian Casper Ruud is the Madrid Open champion.

▲ Casper Ruud, 26, is the first Norwegian tennis player to lift the Masters 1000 trophy since at least 1990, according to the ATP. Photo AFP

Ap

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, May 5, 2025, p. a11

Madrid. Casper Ruud became the first Norwegian to win a Masters 1000 title after defeating Jack Draper 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 in the Madrid Open final.

Ruud rallied from a 5-3 deficit in the first set to seal victory after converting his only break at 2-2 in the third.

The 26-year-old shouted and raised both arms after securing victory on his first match point on the Caja Mágica clay court.

I've been trying to do this for a long time , Ruud said. This was one of my big goals as a young player, so it's an amazing feeling to have achieved it. Also, the way I performed, it was a great match. I knew Jack had been playing amazing all year, and especially in this tournament, so if I didn't play great, I was going to get beaten all over the court .

Ruud, ranked 15th, will return to the top 10 thanks to his campaign in Madrid, reaching number 7 in the rankings that will be announced today.

Luckily, I played really well , Ruud said. Jack has become an incredible player, on any surface... This is a huge boost for me, and I want to continue like this .

The 13-time tour champion is the first Norwegian to lift a Masters 1000 trophy since the series' inception in 1990, according to the ATP. It was Ruud's third such final, after losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas in Monte Carlo last year and Carlos Alcaraz in Miami in 2022.

Ruud has more titles (12) on clay than any other player since the start of 2020, according to the ATP. Draper won at Indian Wells in March. His quarterfinal victory in Madrid secured him a top-five debut.

You deserve it, Ruud. You've obviously worked incredibly hard and had some great years on tour... This sport is brutal, but I think this loss will make me better, so I'll keep trying , the Briton added.

The tournament in Madrid was interrupted early last week due to a massive power outage that paralyzed Spain and Portugal on Monday, causing the postponement of 22 matches.

Ruud needed to take a couple of painkillers during his semifinal victory over Francisco Cerúndolo after feeling discomfort in his ribs during his warm-up, but there were no signs of any injury yesterday. The men's draw was missing most of its best players early on. Carlos Alcaraz had to withdraw due to injury, and Novak Djokovic succumbed to Matteo Arnaldi in his opening match.

▲ América celebrates yesterday's 2-0 win over Guadalajara at the Ciudad de los Deportes stadium. Photo by Luis Castillo

Karla Torrijos

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, May 5, 2025, p. a12

América took a big step toward its third Liga MX Femenil title after becoming the first finalist of the 2025 Clausura tournament, defeating Chivas 2-0 in the national derby corresponding to the second leg of the semifinals, played yesterday at the Ciudad de los Deportes stadium.

After a 2-2 draw in the first leg, the Eagles advanced in the title race with a 4-2 aggregate score.

The Coapa squad's goals were scored by Kiana Palacios, at minute 45+2, and Angelique Saldívar (48).

The blue-and-cream team dominated the ball from the start of the match and began to threaten the opposing goal with attempts from Scarlett Camberos, Saldívar, and Palacios; however, the strong performance of red-and-white goalkeeper Celeste Espino prevented them from opening the scoring in the opening minutes.

For its part, the Guadalajara squad, led by Spanish coach Antonio Contreras, was unable to trouble home goalkeeper Sandra Paños, who was unable to create any danger in the American penalty area.

Atletico's striker Alicia Cervantes was completely neutralized by the América defense, so she was unable to do any damage. The home side's momentum finally paid off in the final minutes of the first half, at 45+2, when Palacios received a pass in the box from her teammate Irene Guerrero and, after controlling the ball with her chest, finished with her left foot to make it 1-0 before halftime.

In the second half, América didn't let up and quickly created a dangerous play after Camberos, from the left wing, sent the ball into the center of the box, where Saldívar appeared to tap it into the back of the net and make it 2-0 in the 48th minute.

The goal lifted the more than 24,000 fans from their seats and completely crushed the hopes of the visitors, who were still unable to break down the Azulcrema defense.

In the 68th minute, tempers flared after Camberos and the red-and-white player, Kinberly Guzmán, got into a fight after hitting each other during a play, which resulted in a yellow card for both players. In the final stretch, both teams continued trying to invade the opposing goal, but the scoreboard remained unchanged, and the Águilas secured their spot in their sixth Liga MX Femenil final.

The second leg of the other semifinal, between Monterrey and Pachuca, will take place today at Hidalgo Stadium, where the Rayadas will have a slight advantage after winning 1-0 in the first leg.