ASB Classic loses top seed but no-one was there to watch

Top seed Casper Ruud has been dumped out of Auckland’s ASB Classic in his first match.

Photo: Chris Symes / www.photosport.nz

Casper Ruud of Norway during Day 3 of the 2023 Men’s ASB Classic. ASB Tennis Centre, Auckland, New Zealand. Wednesday 11 January 2023.

The Norwegian was beaten in three sets by unseeded Serbian Laslo Djere.

The match was delayed and forced indoors by rain.

Second seed, Auckland born Cameron Norrie, who represents Britain, safely advanced, though third seeded Argentinian, Diego Schwartzman, retired hurt from his match.

With no seeded players surviving the first round, attention on Wednesday turned to how the tournament’s top three players would fare in the second round.

But once again Auckland’s weather would play a part.

With play back on centre court in the morning, second seed Auckland-raised Norrie returned for a third main draw appearance and faced Czech qualifier Jiri Lehecka.

Norrie won the first set 6-4 lost the second in a tiebreak 7-6 and then the rain came.

Play was suspended during the deciding set with Norrie leading three games to love.

Needing to get the game completed, organisers moved the match indoors – after a significant wait of a couple of hours – the 2019 finalist completed the win he needed to move on the quarterfinals against Marcos Giron.

Norrie came to Auckland in top form after defeating Australian Alex de Minaur, Spaniard Rafael Nadal and American Taylor Fritz in Sydney this month.

Conditions for his first game in front of friends and family this year were challenging but something the 27-year-old recognised was all part of tennis.

“When you’re favourite I think it’s a little bit more difficult especially coming from playing last week indoors in Sydney and the conditions are a lot different and the courts a lot quicker, it was a strange day but I’m through so I’m happy.”

Earlier, third seed Diego Schwartzman opened the day’s play on centre court against 22-year-old American Jenson Brooksby.

Brooksby took control early winning the first set 6-1 before Schwartzman retired with an upper leg injury

Giron moved on the next round with a 6-4 6-4 win over fellow American JJ Wolf.

Richard Gasquet beat lucky loser Joao Sousa 7-6 6-2.

David Goffin and Christopher Eubanks briefly started on centre court before finishing their match indoors – a 6-2 6-4 win to Goffin.

The number one seed, Norway’s Casper Ruud, opened the night session against Laslo Djere – nearly three hours after his scheduled start time on the indoor court.

Ruud is third in the world rankings and is the highest-ranked male player in recent times to compete in Auckland, but that didn’t stop Djere from beating him 3-6 6-3 7-6.

No public were able to watch the match, with no access to the indoor courts, meaning Ruud exits the tournament without fans getting a chance to see him in action.