Collignon stuns Ruud in five-set US Open second-round upset

Casper Ruud, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, was ousted from the U.S. Open in a shock second-round defeat on Wednesday after opening the tournament with a straight-sets win, leaving the Norwegian to blame a confidence slump and lingering physical issues for a disappointing Grand Slam campaign.

Ruud, seeded 12th, advanced from the first round on Monday with a 6-1, 6-2, 7-6(5) victory over Austria's Sebastian Ofner at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows. He recorded nine aces, 21 winners and converted four break points while his opponent committed 43 unforced errors. That victory extended Ruud's run of first-round Grand Slam wins to 15. He was eliminated two days later by world number 107 Raphael Collignon, losing 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 5-7.

On the court after the loss, Ruud acknowledged a lack of match confidence that has dogged him through a difficult stretch. "I can just honestly say I don't play with much confidence these days," he told reporters. He said recent practice and match results, compounded by time out with a left knee injury that forced him to skip Wimbledon, had left him short on momentum. "I havent won that many matches in the last...