FRENCH OPEN. by Emiliano Naftali
Casper Ruud will once again compete in the Roland Garros semifinals following his victory over fellow Scandinavian Holger Rune.
This match had been highly anticipated at this year’s Roland Garros and served as a rematch of last year’s quarterfinal. Twelve months ago, the match was overshadowed by a cold handshake and subsequent comments from both players, but this year was a different story.
During the 2023 Italian Open, where Rune had previously defeated the Norwegian, he stated that he had ‘zero problems with him’, indicating that no fireworks were expected on the Court Philippe-Chatrier. Ruud also made it clear that the conflict was now behind them. Prior to the quarterfinal match, Rune even joked that he hoped for a less dramatic encounter.
Both players’ predictions turned out to be true, as the first two sets of the match lacked any real drama. The young Dane had two break points in the opening game, but his failure to convert them signaled a struggle for him throughout the match.
Rune simply couldn’t find his rhythm, committing 30 unforced errors and hitting only 13 winners in the first two sets. As a result, the 20-year-old found himself trailing 1-6, 2-6 after just 55 minutes of play.
However, the French crowd managed to reinvigorate him. The sixth seed burst into action in the third set, unleashing 16 winners and hitting precise shots that painted the lines. After 46 minutes, Rune claimed the third set with a score of 6-3, intensifying the competition.