French Open 2022, quarter-finals, Wednesday, 01.06.2022
Co-favourite against secret favourite, Norway against Denmark! When Casper Ruud and Holger Rune battle it out on Wednesday for a place in the semi-finals at the French Open 2022, definitely no one wrong will succeed in making it to the round of the best four.
Both are playing an excellent tournament, the younger one even makes the slightly more stable impression. In my Ruud Rune tip, I reveal why I don’t expect a quick result here and why the underdog could well prevail!
To find Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals of the French Open does not surprise the experts at all. For years, the 23-year-old has been considered a hot candidate for a Grand Slam title, but his nerves have always put a spanner in the works on the very big stage.
This time he shows a better side, even if not all his victories seem sovereign. Already the 6-7, 7-6, 6-2, 7-6 against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga showed that Ruud still has problems to keep his concentration high.
The 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 against Emil Ruusuvuori in the 2nd round was much easier. In the 3rd round, the Norwegian finally needed all five sets when he won 6-2, 6-7, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 against Lorenzo Sonego.
After this success, he had to fight off Hubert Hurkacz, but made it to the quarter-finals at 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. He always wins over 70 per cent on first serve, and in the last two rounds he was also much less wasteful with his break chances.
He will remember well how difficult it can be to hold against Holger Rune. A few weeks ago in Monaco, the two met in the 3rd round, the favourite’s 7-6, 7-5 could not have been tighter.
For Holger Rune, reaching the quarter-finals is a small sensation anyway. Half a year ago, one didn’t know exactly where the 19-year-old’s path would lead, but now he only knows one direction: upwards, unstoppable!
His 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 opening win over Denis Shapovalov was already really strong, and he didn’t have to push his limits in the following 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 win over Henri Laaksonen. Hugo Gaston was equally unable to stop him.
After the 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, Rune took a quick breath and then faced top star Stefanos Tsitsipas. In the end, the world number 4 hardly got a move on and Rune celebrated a great 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4!
He allowed seven breaks in the entire tournament, and that despite the fact that he is only serving in the main draw of a Grand Slam for the third time. What the BMW Open champion achieved in Paris cannot be overestimated.
My Ruud Rune Tip
Casper Ruud was on the experts’ radar for a semi-final at Roland Garros, but the fact that Holger Rune would do so excellently is a bit of a surprise.
Whoever loses only one set against Denis Shapovalov and Stefanos Tsitsipas has every chance against Casper Ruud. But since the Norwegian is just as strong, I can only give the following tip:
We see more than 3,5 sets!
