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MELBOURNE: Second seed Casper Ruud was sent packing in the Australian Open second round Thursday with defeat to hard-hitting American Jenson Brooksby, a day after Rafael Nadal also went out.
The Norwegian Ruud, who took a medical timeout after the second set, succumbed 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2 to the 39th-ranked Brooksby on Rod Laver Arena.
His early exit left the tournament without its top two seeds in week one after Nadal’s shock loss on the same court Wednesday to another American in Mackenzie McDonald.
It opens the door to Novak Djokovic winning a 10th Melbourne title and temporarily derails Ruud’s dreams of becoming world number one.
“First and foremost, Casper is a warrior, I knew it would be a great battle out there,” said Brooksby, 22.
“I’m just really proud of my mental resolve after the third-set battle didn’t go my way, and to turn it around.
“I thought I was playing really strong, and I just didn’t want to lose my focus out there.”
The 24-year-old Ruud’s defeat ended any hope he had of assuming the world number one ranking from Carlos Alcaraz, who is absent from Melbourne with an injury.
Only two players can now achieve the feat if they lift the trophy – Serbian superstar Djokovic or Greek third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
According to the governing body ATP, Ruud could have done so by winning or simply reaching the final, as long as neither Djokovic nor Tsitsipas claimed the title.
