“A very high goal this year” Underdog Casper Ruud looking to stamp his authority at the 2022 French Open
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Casper Ruud
World No. 8 Casper Ruud has been one of the most exciting youngster on the Tour in the past couple of seasons, especially when the event is played on Clay. The Norwegian clinched 5 Tour titles last year, the joint second-highest on the Tour last season and just one behind the Tour leader Alexander Zverev.
Of the 10 ATP Tour finals he has played, so far, he has won 7 of them of which 6 titles have come on Clay. Last year, he won 4 titles in claycourt events, a run that saw him make his debut at the 2021 ATP Finals as well where he reached the semi-finals. While Ruud has been managing wins on Tour, he has not been able to replicate the success at the French Open.
“Obviously, I’m putting it as a very high goal and big expectations for this year, so of course, I hope I can deliver. It is probably been my main goal this year to do good results there because it is the Grand Slam where I feel, for now at least, where I have better chances to do well. It is important for me I think before I am getting old in this circuit.
“I cannot say that yet because I’m only 23, but when you see players like (Carlos) Alcaraz and (Lorenzo) Musetti and all these guys, I start to feel a little bit old. I think it’s important for me to have a good Grand Slam result this year to know that, for the future years, I can be able to do the same or even better result,” said Ruud as per Eurosport.
Also Read: French Open 2022: Men’s Singles Draw Preview and Prediction for Roland Garros
“Biggest disappointment” Casper Ruud on his last year’s exit
In his 5 appearances so far in Paris where he reached the main-draw 4 times, he made the 2nd round in 2018 and has since then made three consecutive 3rd round exits from the Grand Slam. Ruud had a great chance in the 2021 French Open to make a deep run given his placement in the draw but he could not capitalise on it.
“Roland-Garros has been in my mind for some weeks already because it’s a tournament where I feel like last year I was a bit unfortunate and was maybe the biggest disappointment, in a way, of my year. Not saying the third round is a bad result but it was a very close, and rollercoaster match, against (Alejandro) Davidovich (Fokina) in the third round.
“The draw had opened a little bit because Dominic (Thiem), he lost. If you look on paper, I suppose I was supposed to play him in the fourth round. But Davidovich made quarter-finals which was maybe one of my bigger goals of the year,” added Ruud expressing his frustration on his exit from last year.
Ruud has been placed in the bottom half this year and has been presented a great chance once again to make a deep run in the Roland Garros. Ruud has had a long clay season before reaching Paris and will be looking to make the best use of it as he still awaits his first Grand Slam quarter-final.
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Sarthak Shitole
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