"Hopefully the fourth time is the charm": Casper Ruud eyes long-awaited Rome breakthrough as draw opens up

Casper Ruud returned to winning form at the ATP Rome Open, advancing to the semi-finals after a 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 victory over Karen Khachanov in a match heavily shaped by a prolonged rain delay. It was a first set dropped in the tournament for the Norwegian, but he still extended his campaign in Rome with another deep Masters 1000 run.

The world No. 7–level contender, a three-time Grand Slam finalist, had been in control early before weather conditions halted momentum. Ruud was preparing to serve for a 6-1, 0-1 lead when play was suspended for more than two hours, effectively resetting the match dynamic.

On return, Khachanov responded sharply, taking advantage of an erratic phase from Ruud to move ahead with consecutive breaks. The Russian briefly seized control as Ruud’s level dipped, in contrast to the authoritative baseline patterns he had shown in the opening set.

Despite the setback, Ruud recovered in the deciding set to seal his fourth semi-final appearance in Rome and continue a season marked by fluctuating form but sustained presence at Masters 1000 level.

Ruud acknowledged the structural impact of the interruption when assessing the match, pointing directly to the change in rhythm after the suspension. His assessment focused less on the collapse in the second set and more on the overall balance of performance across the three sets.

“Of course, there was a little bit of a down period in the second when we came back after the rain, but I’m very proud of the first and third set," he said during his on-court interview. "Ultimately, a win is a win. That’s what you take with you.”

He expanded on the quality ceiling he believes he reached in Rome, suggesting that the opening and closing sets represented some of his strongest recent clay-court tennis. The third set, in particular, featured extended rallies and rapid exchanges of breaks that defined the competitive phase of the match.

“The quality that I played in the first and third set is probably some of the best I’ve felt on court recently, so that’s a good feeling. We were both playing some good tennis, just maybe not at the exact same time.”

The match also carried broader ranking context for Ruud, who had recently dropped outside the top 20 for the first time in 5 years, after failing to defend his Madrid Open title from the previous season. This run in Rome restores momentum and he'll be back in top-20, at a critical point in the clay swing, with Roland Garros approaching.

The semi-final marks Ruud’s fourth appearance at this stage in Rome, underlining his consistency at the Foro Italico despite previous setbacks against top-tier opposition. His past defeats at the tournament include losses to Novak Djokovic and Holger Rune, both of whom have halted deeper runs in previous editions.

“Yeah, I mean, I had two losses here to Novak (Djokovic) in the past, and once against Holger Rune, so hopefully the fourth time is the charm and not the third.”

He referenced missed opportunities against Rune in particular, recalling periods where he held advantages before the match swung away. The pattern reflects Ruud’s broader profile on clay: competitive against elite opponents, but often decided by short momentum swings in high-intensity phases.

“Looking back, I had a few chances in the last one out of the three against Holger. I was up a set and maybe a break, I believe, but he really stepped up and came back in that match.”
“Unfortunately, none of them are my next opponent, in a way, because they’re both great players and they’re fun to play against. Holger, we know, is soon to come back, so we have to wish him a speedy and quick recovery. Novak is Novak, so I won’t play either of those tomorrow, but no matter who it is, I will be ready for a really tough match.”

This time, the Norwegian will meet a far less experienced opponent emerging from the quarter-final between Luciano Darderi and Rafael Jodar, both contesting their first Masters 1000 quarter-final.

That context effectively guarantees a breakthrough semi-finalist from that section of the draw, underlining the contrast in experience levels. For either Darderi or Jodar, a win would represent a first appearance at Masters 1000 semi-final level, with both still building their presence on the main tour.

Ruud, meanwhile, operates from a completely different reference point. The Norwegian has reached 10 Masters 1000 semi-finals in his career and has also contested two finals at this level, making him the most established player in this part of the draw regardless of who emerges from the all-breakthrough clash.