Alexander Zverev plays his way calmly and with strong nerves into the final of the French Openin which he will face Carlos Alcaraz. His opponent Casper Ruud is weakened by an upset stomach, but would probably not have beaten Zverev in this form even if he had been in the best of health.
At this point, it was probably clear to every spectator: the semi-final between Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev had been decided, and Zverev would not be stopped on his way to his second Grand Slam final. The Hamburg native was leading 2-1 in the fourth set and had a break advantage, while his Norwegian opponent was clearly having stomach problems. But Ruud did not want to give up without a fight, and threw all his physical power into his groundstrokes and his court-opening serves, which can embarrass even the best opponents, especially on clay.
French Open Men, Semifinal Arrow right
Nerves of steel and complete performance
This was also the case when the score was 2:4 and 30:15. Ruud precisely circled his serve outwards. But Zverev took two steps to the side and played the return with full risk past the net post into the court. A primal scream from Zverev, loud cheers in the stands. Zverev proudly confirmed in the press conference that this return was special. “That was a special shot. I have to say I had a good feeling about it.”
Just two points later, Zverev had the decisive break. It was the high point of a match that was rather lacking in highlights. But no one will care less about the overall quality than Zverev, who won a Grand Slam semi-final for the second time in his tenth attempt and delivered exactly the kind of nerve-racking and complete performance that he had sometimes lacked in previous attempts.
Guido Ringel, Sportschau, 07.06.2024 23:09
A little in the shadow of the first semi-final
Almost the entire match was accompanied by a friendly, if not enthusiastic, atmosphere on this Parisian evening, which was finally pleasant after the constant rain of the first week. This was also due to an effect that is familiar from another sport: it was clear in advance that Zverev versus Ruud, i.e. number 4 versus number 7 in the world rankings, was something that in boxing you would call the undercard.
After all, all eyes had been on the match between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner earlier in the afternoon, the crown princes of tennis who will probably play regularly over the next ten years not only for the big titles but also for who the future king of this sport is. Even if someone like Alexander Zverev will certainly want to have a say, starting on Sunday.
Lots of empty seats
Zverev himself had a hard time at the start of the match against Ruud. The spark didn’t want to jump from the court to the stands either. Since tickets for the two semi-finals are sold separately in Paris, less than 50 percent of the seats were occupied at the start of this match and the rather inconspicuous Ruud dominated the action on the court with his effective game.
While Zverev made the same mistakes that almost cost him in his third round match against the Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, Ruud played brilliantly. Powerful forehand shots alternated with sensitive stops.
At some point “a little slower”
But at the start of the second set, with the increasing serve rate and the decision to support his already excellent defensive skills with a controlled offensive, Zverev took control of the match and was never in danger again. While Ruud sat on his chair during the breaks with obvious stomach problems and a face contorted in pain, Zverev did not let himself be put off and played the kind of concentrated, decisive tennis that can win major tournaments.
“I noticed it somewhere in the middle of the third set. His shots didn’t get any worse in quality. He may have moved a little slower, but I knew he was still one of the best players in the world. And if I don’t stay fully in the match, the match could turn around again.”
Will Zverev have a better chance of winning a Grand Slam in the next few years than he did here at the French Open? It’s difficult to predict. He’s not the favorite on Sunday, but he wasn’t the favorite against Ruud either. In the final, Zverev’s match is definitely the main battle.
