In the semi-finals of the Monte-Carlo Masters, Casper Ruud prevailed against Novak Djokovic, dashigning the latter’s hopes of winning a third championship.
Ruud achieved a noteworthy feat in 2022 when he defeated the world No. 1 in an intense encounter and qualified for the ATP Masters 1000 final for the second time in his career.
A further element of intrigue was added to the event when Stefanos Tsitsipas displayed his genius by upsetting second seed Jannik Sinner.
The Norwegian phenomenon beat Djokovic for the first time in their five meetings in an intense match that defied all predictions and saw her unleash an incredible barrage of victories. Ruud’s unwavering performance in the first set saw him break Djokovic’s serve twice, setting up an exciting duel.
Monte-Carlo Masters shocker
The Norwegian held strong, securing a historic victory and sealing a ticket to the final against the fearsome Stefanos Tsitsipas, despite Djokovic’s furious comeback in the second set. Tsitsipas had earlier taken off Jannik Sinner, the second seed, laying the groundwork for what looks to be a spectacular showdown.
In a nail-biting match, eighth seed Ruud showed incredible poise by taking advantage of five unintentional mistakes made by Djokovic to take a 3-0 lead in the championship match. Ruud won a hard-fought battle by handling the last stretch with poise and steely nerves.
I will cherish this day for a very long time. I have never defeated a world number one player, and I have never defeated Novak. I couldn’t be happier. Right now, I’m feeling a little shocked. Ruud quoted to skysports.com
“He saved a ton of break points in bizarre ways with huge second serves after missing the first serve [at 30–40].” It was regrettable to conclude the game with a double fault, but I was glad to see the ball soar for a long time. I begged once, let it be a double fault, and someone above heard me.”
Cover Photo: IG