Ruud comes from behind to beat Monfils and reach last eight

In-form Casper Ruud took the scenic route as he booked his place in the Indian Wells Masters quarter-finals for the first time.

The Norwegian, seeded ninth for the tournament, was forced to come from behind to beat Gael Monfils over three sets in California.

It extends his excellent run of form to 10 wins from his 12 tour level matches since a disappointing third round exit at the Australian Open.

Indeed, it was Monfils set the tone in the early exchanges, gaining an early break in the first set, which he took 6-3.

That meant another upset looked on the cards, as the Frenchman moved seamlessly around the court, unleashing a number of winners.

However, the 37-year-old began to tire in the second set, perhaps as a result of his mammoth win over Norrie in the previous round.

As such, it was a much tighter affair, with Ruud finding his range and his opponent often left trying to catch his breath after some exhausting rallies.

A tie break was still required to separate them, which the Norwegian took 7-3, much to the delight of an engaged crowd in California.

Monfils had a chance at a break in the opening stage of the decider, but after failing to convert that, he dropped serve himself.

That paved the way for Ruud to secure a 3-6 7-6 6-4 victory in just under two and a half hours.

The 26-year-old is enjoying a strong season himself, having recently reached the final of the ATP 250 event in Delray Beach, before losing to fellow-countryman Taylor Fritz, while also winning the ATP 250 tournament in Dallas.

Elsewhere, there was a comfortable victory for Daniil Medvedev.

The Russian, who has now reached the last eight at Indian Wells for the second year running, progressed to the quarter-finals by defeated Grigor Dimitrov 6-4 6-4, making just five unforced errors in the process.

“It’s not easy for everyone to play here, especially this year because they changed the balls and it’s even tougher to control it,” he said afterwards.

“It’s tricky and also when it’s windy and the sand comes on the court, it feels like it’s 10 times faster. I’m trying my best and I’m happy to beat a great opponent. I played well and was really consistent.”