The Norwegian Casper Ruud, world N.4 and outgoing finalist, stopped the young Dane Holger Rune (6th) 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the quarter-finals of Roland-Garros on Wednesday, as in 2022, and joins the German Alexander Zverev in the last four.
At 24, Ruud will play the third major semi-final of his career. The Norwegian won the first two, already at Roland-Garros and at the US Open in 2022, but he lost each time in the final afterwards, against Rafael Nadal in Paris, and Alcaraz in New York. His victory this Wednesday against Rune (20) is his first against a top 10 player in 2023, he who had a very average season before Roland-Garros. It is also his first Grand Slam.
For the first two sets, Rune was just a shadow of himself, and Ruud didn’t have to force his talent to escape. With 18 unforced errors in the first round, then another 14 in the second, the bubbling Dane helped him a great deal. ” Holgy “, appeared tired as soon as he entered the center court, regained color in the third set, after having nevertheless had to dismiss a break point in his first service game. But Ruud was able to regain control of the situation in the fourth set, breaking to lead 3 games to 1, then winning in 2h44 min. Rune saved two first match points on his serve, at 5-2, but the Norwegian concluded in the next game.
Perhaps Rune paid for his efforts in the previous round, when he narrowly escaped the trap set by the Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo (23rd), in the super tie-break of the fifth set after four match times. It was then his very first match won in five innings. For the moment, the Dane continues in any case to cap in the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam.
Earlier in the evening, Zverev, ex-N.2 in the world today 27th, dismissed the Argentinian Tomas Martin Etcheverry (49th) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. A year after his serious right ankle injury in the middle of the semi-final against Rafael Nadal on clay in Paris, he is back at the same stage of the competition.
The other semi-final will offer the clash anticipated since the draw, between Novak Djokovic and world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz.
(With AFP)