Last week in Monte Carlo, Rune was forced to retire from a match due to food poisoning for the second time this season (he trailed Nuno Borges 6-2, 3-0). Now with three wins under his belt after recovering, the 21-year-old eyes a return to the Top 10 and faces Karen Khachanov for a place in Sunday’s championship, The Russian cooled off home favorite Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, 6-4, 7-5.
In exiting, Ruud will drop at least five spots to No. 15 when Monday’s rankings are released. The two-time French Open finalist began the European clay-court season at No. 7, though was eliminated in the round of 16 of Monte Carlo by Alexei Popyrin a year after finishing runner-up at the 1000-level event.
