Casper Ruud’s French Open run continues, overwhelms Tomas Etcheverry in four-set battle

Casper Ruud (No. 7) defeated Tomas Martin Etcheverry (No. 29) 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the fourth round of the French Open. Once again, Ruud dashed Etcheverry's hopes. A few weeks ago, they faced off in the semifinals of the ATP 500 Barcelona Open, where Ruud won in straight sets to reach the final and subsequently take the title.

The Norwegian is on track for a potential third consecutive French Open final, achieving his 22nd win in the tournament. Etcheverry had been in good form, having reached the final of the Lyon Open a week earlier and defeating two local players at Roland Garros.

From the start, it was clear that this was a match between two clay-court specialists, who extended rallies and showed excellent return skills. Both had over 60% first serve success, but it wasn't enough for either to gain a clear advantage. Three breaks for Ruud and two for Etcheverry decided the first set in Ruud's favor, 6-4.

However, the second set saw a shift as Ruud's serve effectiveness dropped, winning only 48% of first-serve points and 38% on his second serve. Etcheverry hit 12 winners and made only 2 unforced errors, while a shaky Ruud managed 8 winners but had 15 unforced errors in just 7 games. The set went easily to the Argentine, 6-1.

Etcheverry couldn't maintain his dominance from the second set, and the rest of the match tilted in Ruud's favor. The former world No. 2 secured two breaks in the third set and faced only one break point, which Etcheverry couldn't convert.

The world No. 7 broke serve in the first game of the fourth set, putting pressure on the South American. Etcheverry's serve percentage dropped below 50%, compared to Ruud's 77%. Ruud secured three breaks in the set and sealed the win, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Ruud continues to show his title contender status, improving his clay-court record to 20-4 this season, including two titles. His next opponent will be the 12th seed Taylor Fritz, who won a five-set battle against Thanasi Kokkinakis, reaching the second week of the French Open for the first time in his career.