With the help of painkillers, Casper Ruud overcame a rib ailment to defeat Francisco Cerundolo in straight sets and reach the Madrid Open final on Friday.

It will be Casper Ruud's 18th ATP-level final on clay - among currently active players, only Novak Djokovic (34) has reached more on the surface

Casper Ruud will compete in his third Masters 1000 final and the first in Madrid. The Norwegian faced Francisco Cerundolo in the semi-final in Caja Magica and scored a 6-4, 7-5 victory in an hour and 54 minutes. Thus, he moved into the title clash without losing a set.