French Open 2022, semi-finals, Friday, 03.06.2022
One was listed among the co-favourites, the other did not appear at all among the cup contenders. While the first semi-final at the 2022 French Open will be played between Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev, the second is a real surprise.
Both have reached the round of the best four in Paris for the first time, and the bookmakers have them correspondingly close together. In my Ruud Cilic tip, I reveal why I would trust both players to reach the final!
The eternal talent has been waiting for 2022 to finally show his potential at a Grand Slam – can Casper Ruud’s performances in Paris be described in this way?
The Norwegian, the world number 8, is currently able to assert himself on the very big stage for the first time and is consequently also playing his debut in the semi-finals. And that, although he had shown great problems in the first round.
He won 6-7, 7-6, 6-2, 7-6 against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, but had trouble finding his way in the tournament. After an outright win against Emil Ruusuvuori, he needed all his strength against Lorenzo Sonego, securing a 6-2, 6-7, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Ruud could not serve with further straight wins, but as is well known, you also get further with a 3:1. First he beat Hubert Hurkacz 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, before he put youngster Holger Rune in his place with a 6-1, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3.
He still has room for improvement, because in the quarter-finals he could only use five of 17 break chances. On average, the Norwegian wins more than 70% of his first serve and he will have to do the same against Marin Cilic.
This will be the third direct duel between the two players after 2020 and 2021. Ruud has a comfortable 2-0 lead, but both results were anything but clear-cut. A good cue, because that also applies to the odds of the bookmakers.
Mostly because he was already considered an underdog in the last rounds and has defied his critics.
What Cilic is showing in Paris is historic. At 33, he has experienced almost everything, and last Wednesday he also set a new record. Along with the “Big Four”, i.e. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, he is now the only active player to have reached a semi-final in every Grand Slam.
In Paris he celebrates a premiere against Casper Ruud, he has never been this strong on clay. His wins against Attila Balaz, Marton Fucsovics and Gilles Simon didn’t attract much attention, but then the round of 16 was just around the corner.
6-2, 6-3, 6-2 against Daniil Medvedev, Cilic dismantled the Russian in all his parts! Those who thought that the result was only due to Medvedev’s weak performance were wrong and had to revise their opinion one round later at the latest.
Cilic defeated Andrey Rublev 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, and especially in the match tiebreak he played his opponent to the wall until he was close to tears. He sent an unbelievable 33 aces over the net, the 1.98 metre tall Croatian knows how to score points.
The fans only saw four breaks, which decided each set. If Cilic continues to serve so irresistibly in the semi-finals, Ruud will have a hard time. In the entire tournament, the veteran only allowed six breaks against him.
My Ruud Cilic Tip
Casper Ruud or Marin Cilic, whoever reaches the final on Friday will be celebrating a real first. The Croatian might have a slight advantage in terms of experience, having already survived a semi-final twice on the very big stage.
Casper Ruud, on the other hand, recently knocked off Holger Rune, who also knows how to play on clay.
I trust both players to be able to play their best tennis. Cilic is floating through the tournament on a cloud, while Ruud is more about the fight. Actually, the only tip I can think of is this:
We’ll see more than three sets!
