With the help of painkillers, Casper Ruud overcame a rib ailment to defeat Francisco Cerundolo in straight sets and reach the Madrid Open final on Friday.

Casper Ruud will compete in his third Masters 1000 final and the first in Madrid. The Norwegian faced Francisco Cerundolo in the semi-final in Caja Magica and scored a 6-4, 7-5 victory in an hour and 54 minutes. Thus, he moved into the title clash without losing a set.

MADRID (AFP) – Casper Ruud squeezed into the 25th tour-level final of his career with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo at the Madrid Open on Friday. The Norwegian saved a whopping 15 of 18 break points faced during the one-hour 54-minute clash to reach a third Masters 1000 final, and first since Monte Carlo last year.