"Hopefully third time can be the charm for me": Ruud resurrects season with Roland Garros run as Djokovic in his sights
ATPSaturday, 10 June 2023 at 09:30
For the second year running, Casper Ruud will play in a Roland Garros final and a third major final overall after overcoming Alexander Zverev with ease 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 on Friday evening.
Ruud hasn't had the best season at times but shown exactly why he is a force over the past two weeks.
As a result even in his mind, it was about defending his points and he didn't think he'd get to another final with a one match at a time mentality throughout.
“I didn't come into Roland-Garros thinking I was the favourite to reach the final, not at all,” Ruud said. “I was trying to think one match at a time. Let's see how it goes from there.
“I'm always thinking about trying to defend this final spot from last year but, yeah, here we are two weeks later. Hopefully third time can be the charm for me.”
But as he pointed out, it is another Big Three member this year after Rafael Nadal last year and he is under no illusion the size of the task ahead.
“It's going to be tough. Last year was against Rafa, this year against Novak. What can you say? It's two of the toughest players in history,” Ruud added.
“I'm just going to be the underdog. Like today, play without too many feelings, try to enjoy, smile. Novak is playing to be the greatest.
“Novak is going for his 23rd, I’m going for my first. It's a big difference. We will both give it all.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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