‘Underdog’ Casper Ruud says he will take on Novak Djokovic without any feeling in the French Open final after his last year’s defeat to Rafael Nadal
Last year also he reached the final only to get beaten in straight sets by Spanish legend Rafael Nadal.
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L-Casper Ruud R-Novak Djokovic (Images via Twitter)
Norway’s Casper Ruud has been playing remarkable tennis in the last couple of weeks and inched closer to lifting his maiden Grand Slam at the French Open. He advanced to the final by beating Germany’s Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 in the semis. But the road to that elusive trophy won’t be a cakewalk for him as he will face his toughest opponent, the 22-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the 2023 French Open final on Sunday (June 11) on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Ruud finds himself in a weird situation after reaching the summit clash. Last year also he had a dream run at the Roland Garros. He reached the final only to get beaten in straight sets by Spanish legend Rafael Nadal, who got crowned a record 14-time French Open champion. After booking his spot in the final for a second consecutive time, the 24-year-old is set to face another legend of the sport.
“Novak is going for his 23rd [Grand Slam title], I am going for my first- it’s a big difference but I will give it my all and I hope we can have a good match,” Ruud said after his match against Zverev. He then acknowledged that he is prepared to be the underdog in this final, also like last year.
“It’s going to be tough. Last year was against Rafa, this year against Novak so what do you say? It’s two of the toughest players in the history, I’m going to be the underdog, so try to play without feelings, try to enjoy, and smile as much as I can,” Ruud added.
Novak Djokovic has won all four matches against Casper Ruud
The Norwegian never went past Novak Djokovic in their previous four encounters. The Serb leads his head-to-head 4-0 with Ruud. Their last meeting was at the 2022 ATP Tour Finals where the 36-year-old defeated the 4th seed in straight sets 7-5, 6-3.
Djokovic overcame World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinal with a score of 6-2, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. And with this, he became the oldest men’s finalist at Roland Garros since Bill Tilden in 1930.
The young Spaniard was considered the favorite to win, not just the semifinal against Djokovic, but was expected to lift his second Grand Slam as well. But he struggled with cramps which hindered his movement and a merciless Djokovic won it like a walk in a park.
The Serb will play his 34th Grand Slam final and his seventh at the Roland Garros. He is a two-time champion at the clay-court Grand Slam where he lifted the trophy in 2016 and 2021.
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Gouri Das
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