Feb 09 (V7N) — World No. 5 Casper Ruud survived a tense battle against Spain’s Jaume Munar, winning 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4) on Saturday to reach the ATP Dallas Open final.

The Norwegian star will face either defending champion Tommy Paul or Canada’s Denis Shapovalov in the title clash, as the two battle later in the day.

Ruud dominated the opening set, but Munar responded impressively, leveling the match with a strong second-set performance.

The Spaniard appeared on the verge of a breakthrough, serving for the match at 5-4 in the final set, but Ruud held his nerve, breaking back to force a decisive tiebreaker.

"I know what the feeling is like," Ruud admitted. "You see the finish line just ahead, and you stumble. I was fortunate to be on the right side of it today."

Ruud took control in the tiebreak, securing victory with a clinical overhead smash and capitalizing on Munar’s forehand error to wrap up the match after two and a half hours.

With the win, Ruud advanced to his third straight ATP final, having won titles last year in Barcelona and Geneva. He now seeks his 13th career title.

Ruud has a 4-2 career record against Paul and a 2-0 advantage over Shapovalov, giving him confidence ahead of the final.

Meanwhile, Paul, ranked No. 9, is aiming for his fifth career title, while Shapovalov looks to claim his third ATP crown.

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