[Singles Quarterfinal]
Casper Ruud (NOR) [4] def. Aleksandar Vukic (AUS) – 6-3, 6-2

■Fourth-seeded Casper Ruud dominated qualifier Aleksandar Vukic, finishing the match in just 58 minutes. His serve was on fire—landing 83% of his first serves and hitting 9 aces. In the rallies, he kept Vukic off balance with a clever mix of pace and spin, even throwing in a tricky behind-the-back shot that helped him stay in control from start to finish.
 Ruud had previously lost in straight sets to Vukic at the Shanghai Masters a year ago.
“I came into this thinking about revenge for Shanghai,” Ruud said, “and I think I pulled it off with some really good tennis.”
This marks Ruud’s fourth straight appearance at this tournament. He reached the second round in 2023, but lost in the first round in both 2022 and 2024. When asked about what’s different this time, he responded:
“The court surface might still be a bit fast, but I think the balls used at the tournament make a big difference. They just felt right from the moment I hit them after arriving in Japan.”

(Japan Tennis Association)