Who is Ruusuvuori, Sinner’s opponent in Miami: Italy, rock, Ibra

An introverted personality who listens to and plays rock, is a fan of ice hockey and a great admirer of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He blends everything and voilà: here is a typical northern European boy. Emil Ruusuvuori, Jannik Sinner’s opponent in the quarterfinals of the Masters 1000 in Miami, is originally from Helsinki, Finland. Tennis is his life, of course, but there is a critical point: now he has little time to play the drums. “I have the opportunity to do it in the summer, but too little. I should find a solution.” His father indoctrinated him with the music of Led Zeppelin, but his favorite band is the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Features

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Meanwhile, the almost 24-year-old (he will turn them on April 2) punches from the bottom and has reached a quarter-final for the first time in a Masters 1000, beating Borges, Bautista Agut (22 from the seeding), Daniel and Van de Zandschulp in order (seeded no. 26). An exploit that will allow Ruusuvuori to find himself on Monday with the best ranking of his career: starting from number 54 in the world, he has gained 17 positions and therefore already improved on the 40th position reached in November. Emil was born as a counter-attacker from the distance, with impeccable timing on the ball. The growth path passes from the attempt to add elements and variety to his tennis which he developed mainly indoors: at 14 he entered the Jarkko Nieminen Tennis Academy where he met Federico Ricci, the Finn’s inseparable coach from that moment on.

Italy

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Alongside Ricci is another Italian, Claudio Pistolesi, also currently in Miami. There will be a lot of Italy in tonight’s challenge, not before 9 pm. For Ruusuvuori’s coach it is a great source of pride to see the class of ’99 compete with the best: growth has not been easy – many spinal problems and a bad pneumonia in 2018 – and Emil had to work a lot to have the right bite on the pitch. He is described as a boy who has always thought about today and little about tomorrow, another characteristic – without wanting to fall into clichés – of people from the North. A look like this, a little resigned to life, which cannot last long on the pitch.

Growth

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Ruusuvuori’s career and personality have been built over time, step by step. First by collecting victories at the Challenger level – in 2019 alone he won four tournaments – and then starting to win important matches at a higher level: think of the victory over Thiem in the Davis Cup also in that year or the success against Monfils in five sets at the first round of the Australian Open in 2021. During the lockdown, Ricci wasted no time: with Emil he studied the exchanges of iconic matches such as Agassi-Sampras at the US Open 2021 or Safin-Federer in Melbourne in 2005. Attempts to smooth game and character , the results are now visible. A feat will be needed with Sinner: Jannik won the previous four at ATP level, after the Finn had prevailed at the beginning of 2020 in the Bendigo Challenger. They have already faced each other a lot, even in Miami: last year Jannik won in the second round at the tie break of the third set. Whoever passes the round could find Alcaraz, who Emil also beat in Miami in 2021. It is being done, slowly. Translated: it is not there by chance. Those who arrive in silence can be dangerous.