Third time’s the charm? Ruud faces Djokovic in the French Open final

The highlight of this year’s French Open is here. The men’s singles final starts this afternoon. Novak Djokovic could win a record 23rd Grand Slam title. Casper Ruud will be looking for his first. What are his chances?

The Norwegian tennis player already knows what it’s like to play in a Grand Slam final. He played in two last year. But he didn’t win at Roland Garros or the US Open in his last match.

In the case of last year’s French Open, it was a very quick defeat. He didn’t get a chance against the local king Rafael Nadal and lost to him 3::6, 3::6 and 0::6. The final at the American Major was more even. The native of Oslo played a good match against Carlos Alcaraz, but still lost to him 1: 3 in sets.

As it happens, the tiebreak played a very important role. With the score at 1:1 sets, it was the shortened game that decided the outcome of the third set. However, Ruud’s Spanish opponent won it with ease. Nor has to be very careful with tiebreaks today. Novak Djokovic is perfect in them.

Ruud’s Roland Garros

Casper Ruud was not having the best season, but everything changed in Paris. He never lost more than one set in any match. This was also the case in the expected quarterfinal duel against Holger Rune. But the Norweigander did much better and won after 6::1, 6::2, 3::6 and 6::3.

The semi-final match against Alexander Zverev of Germany was surprisingly fast. Ruud admitted after the match that he didn’t feel like a favourite to reach the final before the tournament, but he’s focusing on each next match separately, not thinking too much and not making too many mistakes. And it’s working out great.

In the semi-final, the twenty-four-year-old Norwegian recorded half the unforced errors of his opponent, and the quarter-final against the young Dane was similar in this respect. The question is whether his performance will be enough to beat Djokovic.

The final match

The Serbian tennis player will definitely be the favourite for the final duel at Roland Garros. Like Ruud, he has not lost more than one set in any match so far. All four of their encounters have ended in victories for the playing legend of world tennis. Still, there are good arguments for Ruud to at least give Djokovic a hard time today.

It is difficult to enter the first Grand Slam final of a career, so the Oslo native has already had that experience. Although he has also achieved success on hard surfaces, clay is Nora’s most natural tennis element.

Eurosport expert Alex Corretja describes Ruud’s improving performances at major tennis events. Last year in the final against Nadal, the Norwegian had a chance to play something but not to win, the final in New York against Alcaraz was already very good on his part and today comes the proverbial third attempt.

Ruud has worked a lot on his forehand, he uses a lot of topspin, we can praise his backhand and his serve. He will be a tough opponent for Djokovic. The surface will also play a role.

“If you wanted to play Novak in a Grand Slam final, you might choose clay,” the two-time French Open finalist said at a previous press conference. The highlight of this year’s French Open is scheduled for today at 14:30 on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Source: Roland Garros, Eurosport