Casper Ruud achieved a rare Masters 1000 feat previously claimed by Rafael Nadal as he sealed his spot in the last four of the Madrid Open.
Three-time Grand Slam finalist Ruud has fallen to world No 15 in the ATP Rankings after a disappointing start to his clay season, with significant points dropped in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
However, he is yet to drop a set inside the Caja Magica, and the 14th seed has now backed up a fourth-round win over third seed Taylor Fritz with a 6-3, 7-5 triumph over ninth seed Daniil Medvedev.
“Daniil and I, we play a very different game,” said Ruud on Sky Sports Tennis.
“He [Medvedev] plays much flatter than me, but he serves well and moves great. It was an interesting match and I’m very happy with the level.”
Ruud’s match on Thursday was his seventh quarter-final at a clay-court Masters 1000 event, and ultimately his seventh win.
After beating Medvedev, the former world No 2 joins an exclusive club of just three men to win his first seven Masters quarter-finals on clay since the format was introduced in 1990.
Casper Ruud – 7
Ruud is into his second semi-final at the Madrid Open, and a seventh Masters 1000 semi-final on clay thanks to Thursday’s triumph.
The Norwegian won his first clay-court Masters quarter-final at the Italian Open in 2020, defeating fourth seed Matteo Berrettini, and has gone on to win further Rome quarter-finals in 2022 and 2023.
He has also won both his quarter-final matches at the Monte Carlo Masters, reaching the last four on his tournament debut in 2021, and ultimately making the final in 2024.
Ruud beat Alexander Bublik in the last eight in Madrid back in 2021, and is now a perfect 7-0 in such quarter-finals after beating Medvedev.
Guillermo Coria – 7
A former world No 3 and one of the leading clay-courters of his era, Coria also won his first seven Masters 1000 clay-court quarter-finals.
Coria made his Monte Carlo Masters debut in 2001 and reached his first semi-final at the event, defeating Alberto Martin in his maiden clay Masters quarter-final.
The Argentine won three more Monte Carlo quarter-finals during his seven-match run, winning a last-eight match every year from 2003-05, going on to lift the title in 2004.
Coria won back-to-back Hamburg Open quarter-finals in 2003-04 and an Italian Open quarter-final in 2005, before falling to Roger Federer in the last eight in Hamburg in 2005.
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Rafael Nadal – 23
Unsurprising, Nadal is well out in front when it comes to this statistic.
The ‘King of Clay’ reached his first Masters 1000 quarter-final on the surface at the 2005 Monte Carlo Masters, and would win nine straight quarter-finals at the event, lifting the title eight times.
Nadal also won eight quarter-finals at the Italian Open during his run, only failing to reach the last eight once, and also found success in both Hamburg and Madrid.
He won his two Hamburg quarter-finals before the event was downgraded, and then won his first four Madrid Open quarter-finals during his 23-match quarter-final winning streak on clay.
Nadal’s run of 23 wins from 23 clay-court Masters 1000 quarter-finals was snapped at the 2014 Monte Carlo Masters, beaten by compatriot David Ferrer in straight sets.
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