Casper Rudd has become the first Norwegian player to reach a Grand Slam final to beat 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 in the French Open semi-finals. Rudd, seeded 8th, is 23 years old and has not yet come beyond the fourth round in a Grand Slam. His father is a professional tennis player from 1991 to 2001.
Rudd has won 66 matches and 7 titles on the claycourt since the beginning of 2020. Now the toughest challenge of his career is in front of him as he will face 13-time French Open champion, Rafael Nadal, in the final on Sunday. Casper Rudd practices at Nadal's tennis academy in Spain and has also considered him his role model. The semi-final match between Rudd and Cilic was interrupted for 10 minutes when an environmental activist entered the court in the third set.
Reports say that Spain's Rafael Nadal, the uncouth king of red gravel, has entered the final of the second Grand Slam of the year for the 14th time after Germany's Alexander Zverev retired from an ankle injury after two sets. When Zverev left the match, Nadal came 7-6, 6-6 up. The match lasted more than three hours and the second set was about to make it to the tie break but Zverev has skipped the match.
The German injured his right ankle in an attempt to grab Nadal's forehand behind the baseline and has had to be out of the cord in a wheelchair. Nadal, who is 36, has thus made it to the final for the 14th time. Zverev groaned in pain after the fall and his physio and the Nadal who approached him have made him sit in a wheelchair.
The world's number three player came to the court in tears where the spectators stood up and greeted him. Nadal also embraced Zverev. Nadal, a 13-time winner, said on the court after the match that he was very sorry for him. He was seen performing incredibly in the tournament. He was working hard to win a Grand Slam but at the moment he is unlucky. I'm wishing him all the best for a speedy recovery.
Nadal also said that reaching the final of the French Open one more time is equivalent to a dream come true. Celebrating his 36th birthday, the Spaniard, who is celebrating his 36th birthday, made a comeback after trailing 2-6 in the first set tie break and won the tie break 10-8 to finish the set in one hour and 31 minutes. After scoring 6-6 in the second set, Zverev has also skipped the match.
We have 1028 days left - saying the woman entered semi-finals of French Open
