Casper Ruud (Twitter)
The Norwegian tennis sensation Casper Ruud reached his second Grand Slam final after defeating Karen Khachanov in the semifinals of the US Open 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.
The 23-year-old reached the finals of the French Open earlier in the year. He locked horns with the legendary Rafael Nadal and the veteran schooled him to win the match in straight sets. Ruud took it in his stride and has gone from strength to strength. He has now made it to his second Grand Slam final and first at the US Open. In fact, he became the first-ever Norwegian man to reach the US Open final.
“This match today was another great match from my side,” Ruud said in his on-court interview. “I think we were both a bit nervous at the beginning, a few breaks back and forth. But you have to consider that this match is probably the biggest in both of our careers. Of course, there will also be some nerves but I was fortunate to win that first set, which calmed my nerves a little bit,” he added.
“I played phenomenal in the second and Karen stepped up in the third. It was back and forth like every five-setter is, but I am just so happy. After Roland Garros, I was extremely happy but of course humble enough to think that could be my only final at a Grand Slam in my career. It doesn’t come easy, but here I am back again a couple [of] months later,” said the seventh seed.
The World No. 7 won 87 percent of points at the net and had a win percentage of 82 on the first serve compared to just 68 from Khachanov. Ruud is now guaranteed a No. 2 spot in the ATP rankings after the US Open draws to a close. If he wins the final, he will end up clinching his first major title and the No. 1 ranking.
Two of the best young players at the moment – Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev have made only one Grand Slam final appearance till now. Ruud has overtaken them with two and both have come in 2022.
Let’s take a look at how fans reacted following the special win for Casper Ruud against the 27th seed Karen Khachanov and the comparisons with Tsitsipas and Zverev.
The impressive Casper Ruud will take on another immensely talented youngster Carlos Alcaraz in the finals at the historic Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday.
The 19-year-old Spaniard defeated an upbeat Frances Tiafoe in a pulsating semifinal match to punch his ticket to the final. This will be Alcaraz’s first major final appearance.
Both Alcaraz and Ruud have a lot to play for in the final. They will not only be competing to win their first-ever major title but also have the chance to become the World No. 1 with a win.
Carlos Alcaraz has a perfect 2-0 lead in the head-to-head scoreline against Casper Ruud. However, the latter will look to use the experience of having played a Grand Slam final before. It promises to be an exciting match as both players will give it their all to etch their names in the history books and win the coveted title on the night of the final.
More Tennis news
Follow our dedicated Tennis page for instant Tennis news and updates