The Norwegian Casper Ruud, world number 4, qualified for his second straight final at Roland-Garros at the expense of the German Alexander Zverev, ex-world number 2 today 27th, dominated 6-3, 6- 4, 6-0 in 2h09 min Friday. In Sunday’s final, Casper Ruud will challenge Novak Djokovic, who will seek to become the first man to win a 23rd Grand Slam title. The 36-year-old Serbian emerged 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 from a clash with world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, beset by cramp in the third set earlier in the day.
Third Grand Slam final
At 24, the Norwegian will play his third Grand Slam final, the third in a year after those of Roland-Garros and the US Open in 2022, lost respectively against Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz. A year ago, Casper Ruud was outclassed 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 by Nadal. “I didn’t come thinking that I was favorite to go to the final, not at all,” admitted the Scandinavian player, who had a very average first part of the season before Roland-Garros.
However, there was better on clay, with a title in Estoril in April and a semi-final at the Masters 1000 in Rome just before the Grand Slam in Paris. “Here, two weeks later, I’m back in the final. I hope the third will be the good one!”, added Ruud. “Last year it was Rafa, this time it’s Novak…I won’t be the favourite, so I’ll try to play without too many emotions, enjoy it, smile as much as I I can, I know it will be difficult”, he anticipated.
Alexander Zverev weakened?
Alexander Zverev was experiencing a rebirth at Roland-Garros until then, a year after seriously injuring his right ankle in the middle of the semi-final against Nadal. But the 26-year-old German, who started the match with a massive bandage around his left thigh on Friday night, never really seemed able to threaten his Norwegian opponent. He even completely collapsed in the third set, like his series of failed smashes, sent into the net or out of bounds.
In total, Alexander Zverev, as if at the end of his tether, recorded 37 unforced errors in three sets, against 31 winning points. Ruud’s record is positive (25 winning shots against 13 unforced errors). Alexander Zverev was playing his sixth Grand Slam semi-final, but he only passed the milestone once, at the US Open in 2020. He then lost in the final against Dominic Thiem.