Kyrgios and Ruud, who faced each other in the past, played doubles in an exhibition

“Time heals wounds”goes a popular saying. And this is how the Norwegian tennis player understood it Casper Ruud (6th), who this Saturday, in a complete display of maturity, forgot the differences with the Australian Nick Kyrgios to the share court in doublesfacing Sumit Nagal (98th) and Jordan Thompson (26th) in the exhibition World Tennis League.

Protagonists of a viral fight through social networks in 2021when the Canberra native criticized the Nordic’s ability on fast courts and in tournaments larger than an ATP 250, the team representatives Kites They left the past aside by joining forces in the charity event held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where they celebrated 6-4 in front of the team’s ambassadors Hawksin the third meeting of the series.

“Funny how things take a 360 degree turn. What do we call this duo? An absolute pleasure to play alongside you”expressed the former world number 13 about his surprising duo with the owner of 12 titles on the circuit.

For his part, the Oslo native, who at the 2019 Rome Masters 1000 had witnessed live the worst side of the ‘Bad Boy’, who broke his racket, kicked bottles and threw a chair into the center of the field, acknowledged that none I was hoping to form a bond: “Fire and ice. When we started the match we said: ‘Who would have thought we would ever play doubles together’“.

Despite clenching their fists on the Asian cement, Ruud and Kyrgios would not be able to guide the Kites towards the final, where the Falconsmade up of Caroline Garcia, Elena Rybakina, Andrey Rublev and Denis Shapovalov, would give the grade by winning 20-16 against the Hawks to be proclaimed champions in the third edition of the competition.