Casper Ruud of Norway sailed into the quarterfinal of the Barcelona Open after beating Jordan Thompson 6-1, 6-4 for his 26th win of the season. With his victory, the third-seeded Ruud moved clear of Jannik Sinner for the most tour-level triumphs in 2024. Ruud raced into an early 5-0 lead and hardly looked back from there on Pista Rafa Nadal. He closed out the opening set before clinching a decisive break in the seventh game of the second, ultimately wrapping a 73-minute victory, ATP reports. Rafael Nadal Receives Standing Ovation From Fans After Being Knocked Out of Barcelona Open 2024 Following Defeat to Alex de Minaur (Watch Video).

The Norwegian who has reached three finals already this year (Los Cabos, Acapulco, Monte-Carlo), Ruud will take on Matteo Arnaldi next, who earlier downed Marco Trungelliti 6-3, 6-0 to secure his last-eight spot.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 19, 2024 10:35 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).