Ruud Outlasts Rune For First Grand Slam SF

Casper Ruud held off a spirited challenge from #NextGenATP Dane Holger Rune Wednesday night at Roland Garros, extending his best Grand Slam run into the semi-finals. The 23-year-old Norwegian scored a 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-3 victory in the first all-Scandinavian Roland Garros quarter-final — and the first major quarter-final overall for both men.

“These are the matches you dream about playing and hopefully of course even the final, if it’s possible,” Ruud said in an on-court interview, before looking ahead to his Friday semi-final against Marin Cilic. “I have to be really focussed and bring my ‘A’ game in the semi-final because Marin has played great all week and it’s going to be another tough match.”

Ruud started brightly and cruised ahead by a set and a break before his 19-year-old opponent clicked into gear, breaking twice in quick succession to level the match. The Norwegian again went ahead by a mid-set break in the third, but for the second straight set saw his advantage erased in the very next game.  

In the crucial tie-break, the veteran showed why he has won a Tour-leading 64 (now 65) clay-court matches since 2020. Ruud locked down from the baseline and controlled the rallies without overhitting, sealing the deal with his 17th winner of the set. He also had the answer for several Rune drop shots, outfoxing his opponent on a tactic the Dane had used to great success to that point.

The eighth seed continued to pressure Rune in the fourth and made his breakthrough on return in the eighth game — though the Norwegian had to battle through three deuces after his opponent erased a 0/40 deficit. He served out the match with ease, closing the door with his 55th winner. Ruud finished at a pristine plus-31 in the winners-to-errors count, committing just 24 unforced mistakes.

The first-time Slam semi-finalist improved to 4-0 in his ATP Head2Head series against Rune and will now look to make it 3-0 against Cilic in the semi-final. The 20th-seeded Croatian was a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(10-2) winner over Andrey Rublev earlier on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Ruud is the first Norwegian man to contest a Grand Slam singles quarter-final, an honour that seemed imminent following his form in recent years, particularly on clay. In addition to having the ATP Tour’s most clay wins since 2020, he’s also won eight tour-level titles in that span, including seven on clay.

If history is to repeat itself this fortnight, Ruud might have another trophy on the way. The winner of the last all-Scandinavian men’s quarter-final, semi-final or final at a major went on to win the title: At the 2002 Australian Open, when eventual champion Thomas Johansson defeated Jonas Bjorkman in an all-Swedish quarter-final.

“A big day for Norwegian tennis,” Ruud said in his post-match interview, “because we have also a female player — Ulrikke Eikeri — who made the final of mixed doubles today. She is even one step further than me. She will play for probably her biggest title of her life tomorrow so I wish her luck.”

Rune was seeking to become the youngest men’s Grand Slam semi-finalist since Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer on his 19th birthday in the 2005 Roland Garros semi-finals. The Dane was the lone unseeded quarter-finalist this fortnight.

Despite the loss, Rune’s quarter-final run — in just his third major appearance — lifted him 12 places to No. 28 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. He entered Paris at a career-high of No. 40 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings after winning his maiden ATP Tour title in Munich on 1 May.

Both Rune and Ruud are former World No. 1 juniors. Rune, the 2019 Roland Garros boys’ singles champ, was hoping to join Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander and Stan Wawrinka as the only men to sweep the men’s and boys’ titles in the Open Era.