Casper Ruud Advances to Men’s Singles Final at Roland Garros, Set to Face Djokovic in Grand Slam Showdown

You could watch the Carlos Alcaraz – Novak Djokovic match ONLINE at Šport.sk>>>

You could watch the match Casper Ruud – Alexander Zverev ONLINE at Šport.sk>>>

Singles – semi-finals:

From the start, the Norwegian moved better on the court and made fewer unforced errors. In the first set, he took his opponent’s serve twice, while Zverev only once. The German was able to return to the game at the end, but at 3:5 on the break point, he was unable to place a forehand from an excellently prepared position on the court. Ruud won the first set 6:3 and continued the established trend in the second.

In it, at 2:2 and 0:40, he averted three break points. Zverev’s lost serve in the seventh game was the deciding factor, after which the northerner took the lead 4:3 and already secured the lead. The German didn’t exactly play badly, but he couldn’t take advantage of his chances in key moments. The third set was already fully under the direction of Ruud, who finally gave his opponent the canary.

Ruud met Zverev for the fourth time in his career and tied the balance of the matches at 2:2. The 24-year-old Norwegian has a chance to fight for his first Grand Slam title on Sunday. He advanced to the finals for the third time at the big four events, the last time at last year’s US Open he was not good enough for the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz.

“I tried to play my best without thinking too much. I didn’t feel any pressure, I played relaxed and I think I gave a really good performance. I didn’t come to Roland Garros as a favorite who was expected to advance to final. I had two very fun weeks in Paris. I managed to make it to a Grand Slam final for the third time and I believe it will pay off – until the third, all the best.” said Ruud in the first post-match interview on the court.

Djokovic will attack the record

Djokovic is only one victory away from winning a record 23rd Grand Slam title, which would have taken him away from the Spaniard Rafael Nadal at the top of the historical charts. The Serb is attacking for the third trophy from the Paris clay. If he succeeds in the final, he will return to the top of the world rankings on Monday, replacing Alcaraz.

Thirty-six-year-old Djokovic benefited from the health problems of Alcaraz, 16 years younger, who suffered from convulsions. “Carlos was unlucky. The last thing you want at the end of a Grand Slam tournament is cramps or other health problems. I feel for him, I feel sorry for him. I believe he will pull himself together and quickly return to competitive action.” said the Serb in the first post-match interview on the court.

Djokovic was able to enter the match. From the start, he showed excellent all-around tennis, held his serve and broke the Spaniard’s serve in the fourth game. He also managed a marathon seventh game with long exchanges, in which he averted three opponent’s break points, and won the first set for himself in the ratio of 6:3. In the second, Alcaraz improved the accuracy of his shots, with great forehands he prepared positions for attack. Djokovic’s wrist was bothering him and he required treatment in the eighth game. Alcaraza did not take a break from the pace and broke the opponent’s serve for the first time in the match. However, he could not confirm the break, so the set was decided only in the twelfth game, in which the leader of the world ranking showed more patience.

In the third set, they had to treat Alcaraz, who was suffering from a right knee. Health problems were evident in his performance, at 1:1 he lost five games in a row and lost the set clearly 1:6. He then went to the dressing room and returned to the court only after a longer break. After that, he tried to continue his patient game, in which he wanted to surprise the opponent with “short cuts” from the baseline, but his health limitations obviously limited him. Djokovic got up to speed, broke his opponent twice and finally took the match to the winning end when he converted his second match point in the seventh game. Alcaraz thus returned last year’s loss from Madrid, where the home player defeated the Serb 6:7 (5), 7:5 and 7:6 (5) in an exciting duel.

“When I shook hands with him, I told him that he is still young and has a lot ahead of him. I am sure he will win this tournament many more times. He is an incredible player, an incredible fighter. It must have been very difficult for him to decide whether to scratch the match, or finish it. Hats off to how he fought until the last ball. He has my respect. To be honest, we both pushed ourselves to the limit physically. I wasn’t feeling my best at the end of the second set either. It was an even match, but then Carlos’ cramps came and they decided everything,” Djokovic added.

Alcaraz will have to wait for his first participation in the Paris final. “The first and second sets were very intense. A lot of long exchanges, drop shots, sprints. My hand hurt and then every part of my body was affected by cramps. In the third set it was already very difficult for me to move on the court. In the fourth I had maybe one percent chance to turn it around. However, I would be very sorry if I scratched. After all, I played in the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament,” the AFP agency quoted the US Open 2022 winner.

“Novak is a legend of our sport. If someone says that they are going to play against him without any nerves, then they are lying. Playing a Grand Slam semifinal is mentally demanding in itself, and when you face Novak in it, it is doubly true. I am very sorry for those cramps. I believe that the next time I play against him, it will be a completely different match.”