Casper Ruud backs Daniil Medvedev to have success on clay ahead of French Open - 'A player that doesn't go away'

Casper Ruud — speaking on the latest episode of the Eurosport podcast, Ruud Talk — has said he believes world No. 4 Daniil Medvedev can overcome his difficulties on clay ahead of the clay-court swing and the French Open. Medvedev has historically struggled on clay and has only reached one final on the red dirt in 2019, finishing runner-up at the Barcelona Open.

Ad He reached the semi-finals of the Monte-Carlo Masters in the same year, knocking out Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas along the way. ATP Monte CarloMurray meets De Minaur, Djokovic on course for Medvedev semi after Monte Carlo draw made15 HOURS AGO Ruud thinks the Russian could spring a surprise or two this year on the surface after enjoying fine form on the ATP tour in 2023, including lifting a maiden Miami Open title last weekend. «It's great to see that he stepped up and I thought the speech was funny from [Jannik] Sinner that congratulated him for this last four or five tournaments,» the Norwegian said on the latest episode of Ruud Talk, which aired on Friday.

«But now it's clay so let's see how you handle that because he's maybe not as [big a] fan of clay as maybe I am. »He's a player that sort of doesn't go away. And you have to play those winners or hit those great shots or come to the net or whatever and finish the points because he's going to be there and make you play a lot of balls.

'Magical to watch him on clay' — Robson hails Nadal's incredible pedigree Robson explains why Alcaraz is 'scary' for rest of men's tour «I think it's maybe safe to say that the movement has been maybe his biggest issue on clay in the past. »But I've read interviews where he says that he wants to develop a good movement on clay, and let's see if it's this year. But he