Ruud Cruises Past Struff in Straight Sets to Set Up Paris Quarter-Final With Borges

Casper Ruud completed the Paris Masters quarter-final line-up with a composed straight-sets win over Jan-Lennard Struff on Thursday. The former world No. 2 won 6-3, 6-3 on Court Central in the last third-round match of the day, never allowing the big-serving German a way back into the contest. Struff, who had beaten Thiago Tirante to reach the last 16, could not find the rhythm that had carried him through the week. Ruud broke early in both sets and closed out the match in efficient fashion to book his place in the last eight. Waiting there on Friday is Nuno Borges, the Portuguese lucky loser who has become the story of the tournament. Borges thrashed Ignacio Buse 6-0, 6-2 earlier on Thursday to become the first lucky loser ever to reach the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters, having already lost six previous last-16 matches at Masters 1000 level. The rest of the quarter-final draw underlines how open this year's event has become. Carlos Alcaraz, the top-ranked player left after world No. 1 Alexander Zverev's defeat on Wednesday, faces Taylor Fritz, while Ben Shelton meets Tommy Paul in an all-American tie and qualifier Rinky Hijikata, the man who beat Novak Djokovic, takes on French favourite Luca Van Assche.