ATP Masters Monte Carlo: can Casper Ruud crack Andrey Rublev for the first time?
There have been three official matches so far between Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev . So far, the Russian has all won - and will therefore be the favorite in the second semifinals of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Monte Carlo (not before 2:50 p.m., live on TV and stream on Sky).
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Apr 17, 2021, 08:01 am
What must Ronnie Leitgeb, the tournament director of Marbella, have been thinking? Last week Fabio Fognini and Casper Ruud served in Spain with very, very little success. Fognini went down against Jaume Munar without a chance and listless, Ruud defended himself a little more against Carlos Alcaraz, but still lost in two sets. A few days later, both were in the quarter-finals of Monte Carlo, which the Norwegian won 6: 4 and 6: 3.
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Neither he nor Fabio Fognini showed their best tennis that Friday (it was outstanding compared to Marbella), but at least he managed to keep the ball in play long enough for Fognini to have a real chance of making a mistake Has. Successful project. And so Casper Ruud is in his second semi-final of an ATP Masters 1000 tournament today.
Rublev still undefeated against Ruud
The premiere took place in Rome last year, when industry leader Novak Djokovic still proved to be too strong. The season so far has not been completely frictionless for Casper Ruud. At the Australian Open, he had to give up in the round of 16 against Andrey Rublev, and the 22-year-old could not compete in the quarter-finals in Acapulco against Alexander Zverev. And then skipped Miami straight away.
Speaking of Rublev: Casper Ruud has also lost the other two previous official games to him, plus the meeting in Kitzbühel last summer at Thiem's 7. There Ruud had the same experience as in the past two days Roberto Bautista Agut and Rafael Nadal: "Rublev plays very quickly," said Ruud in a tennisnet interview at the time .
New 1000s winner in Monte Carlo
The question for the second semi-final in Monte Carlo is probably: How much strength did Rublev leave in the three-set battles with the Spaniards? And: How is Rublev coping with his favorite position? Most recently in Miami he had no chance in the semifinals against Hubert Hurkacz. One thing is certain after Nadal's departure: the second Masters 1000 tournament of the year will also bring a new champion at this level. Because Stefanos Tsitsipas and Dan Evans are still immaculate in this regard.
Here the single tableau in Monte Carlo
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