Casper Ruud has qualified for the second round of the Wimbledon Championships but, after his victory over Alex Bolt in straight sets, the Norwegian explained to journalists in the media room how, in the weeks before the London Major, he suffered from a strange virus that put his presence at the All England Club in doubt.
"I felt sick in Paris and when I came home I had a very upset stomach for a week. I had no appetite and was in bed all day. I went to the hospital for tests and they told me I had a strange parasite in my body. I'm not sure how I got it, but they said maybe the water I showered in was contaminated. It took me a while to get rid of it and I doubted I would make it in time, but now I feel fine," he said.
A problem that now seems to have been overcome for Ruud, who on Wednesday will be engaged in a difficult challenge with Fabio Fognini, who overcame the French lucky loser Luca Van Assche in the first round.
In the meantime, his London adventure started with a victory. The Norwegian tennis player, in his first match of the season on grass - as I said at the beginning of the article - beat the Australian qualifier Bolt by 7-6(2) 6-4 6-4 in two hours and sixteen minutes, earning access to the second round, where Fabio Fognini will be waiting for him.
The current number 8 in the ATP world rankings showed some difficulties on a surface notoriously unsuitable for him: Ruud conceded ten break points, saving nine, and in the end he managed to capitalize on the opportunities granted by an opponent who was certainly inferior to him. And as mentioned, in the press conference the former ATP number 2 said he felt well but had spent a few weeks weakened by a physical problem that occurred after reaching the semifinal at Roland Garros.
