Never say die: Casper Ruud and Holger Rune through in last gap Roland Garros marathon epics

Casper Ruud and Holger Rune are into the third round of the 2024 French Open after surviving scares against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Flavio Cobolli respectively both in five sets. Both of which producing classy wins to get through in the end.

Ruud after five sets and four hours emerged victorious in a lengthy battle and a true tennis epic against the Spaniard to keep his charge alive. He has reached finals over the last two years in Paris and avenges his 2021 loss in this case. He sealed it 7-6, 1-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to reach the third round.

The first set left Ruud pumped and for good reason too. He won it by the narrowest of margins 7-5 after over an hour. Aside from the penultimate set, most of the others took half of the time. But despite Ruud being pumped, he was pumped in another way as ADF hammered him in the second set 6-1 to level up. Ruud returned in the third and after back and forth breaks, he sealed one at the right time. He went 5-3 up after holds of serve and he sealed the set from there to lead.

Davidovich Fokina wouldn't give up though and he went 4-1 and 5-2 up Ruud in the next set. He lost his serve at 5-3 up. But with his back against the wall, he cracked the code and broke back for the set to avert any sort of tiebreak scenario or even Ruud sneaking the win.

The final set was a who would blink first scenario as Ruud broke to make it 3-2 and he held firm from there. He could've won it even more comfortably missing a chance for 5-2. But he nearly slipped his serve back to ADF in the next game only to break himself emphatically. With two break points in the prior game going begging for the Spaniard, he was there to break his heart and mop up. Next up is either Tomas Martin Etcheverry or Arthur Rinderknech. They are one of the final matches on court today on Terrific Thursday.

Straight after Ruud was a certain Holger Rune who perhaps was in the wars even more against Italian ace, Flavio Cobolli with his forehand completely breaking down at one point. The last set in particular was a marathon eclipsing two sets combined. He claimed it 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 3-6, 7-6 (3) allowing the Italian to return from two sets down to throw it into a marathon epic.

In particular the tiebreak was where Rune should've lost he went 4-4 (40-0) down in the fifth and then in the tie-break, he was 5-0 down. But Rune of the past perhaps would've given up. This though wasn't about to happen. He then went 2-6 down in the match tie-break before he came back to win 8 out of the next nine points to win the match and claim the win in truly incredible fashion. He has reached the Quarter-Finals in the last two years and albeit he did it the hard way, he showed true grit and resolve which could take him far again this year. Next up is Josef Kovalik who took down the usually reliable Karen Khachanov. Alexander Zverev or Tallon Griekspoor likely await though.