Alexander Zverev didn’t scream in the Paris semifinals. This is good news and bad news at the same time. The good thing is that the German tennis pro made it through the round of four unscathed; unlike last year at the French Open, when he twisted his ankle against Rafael Nadal and tore multiple ligaments in his ankle. The bad thing about Zverev’s lack of roar: It was a sign at 9:18 p.m. on Friday evening that he had lost his semi-final against the Norwegian Casper Ruud. After all, he usually shouts out his joy after a hard-fought match. But after the 3: 6, 4: 6, 0: 6 against the fourth in the world rankings, the Olympic champion lacked the energy, just like before in the 2:09 hours of play. A tired wave was remembered.
Zverev didn’t do much wrong in the semifinals for a long time, but Ruud did almost everything better. The sixth match in twelve days was too much for the German. Mentally, he looked more tired than on his previous laps, and he also suffered from a slight thigh strain that he suffered in training. On Friday, a lot of spectators on the Philippe-Chatrier court suffered with the Hamburger, albeit differently than a year ago.
Ruud now meets Novak Djokovic in the final in Paris, who defeated the ailing world number one Carlos Alcaraz 6: 3, 5: 7, 6: 1, 6: 1 in the first semifinal of the day. The Spaniard was plagued by cramps in his left leg from the second service game in the third set, he could only move to a limited extent. The Friday of the semi-finals had twice promised something electrifying, but in the end the atmosphere was like that after a double power failure. Alcaraz and Zverev lacked the energy of the body – with an impact on the mind. “You have to move really well against Ruud, I couldn’t do that. It makes my game more hectic, then I try to try things that I’m not usually comfortable with.”
While Djokovic is now playing for the 23rd Grand Slam title and the sole record on Sunday, it is up to Ruud for the first time (live on Eurosport from 3 p.m.). He has already had two unsuccessful attempts. At last year’s French Open he ultimately failed because of Nadal, at the US Open because of Alcaraz in the final.
Ruud’s dreaded clay court tennis
For Zverev, on the other hand, it was little consolation that he survived his sixth match at this year’s French Open safely. The dream of the first Grand Slam title remains unfulfilled, even a second final after that of 2020 at the US Open was denied him.
Against Ruud, Zverev usually only got access to the action when his first serve landed in the field. If this was not the case, the 24-year-old Norwegian brought up the dreaded clay court tennis that he learned in Oslo and refined in Rafael Nadal’s academy on Mallorca. Zverev’s attempts to attack in return met with strong resistance.
There was no lack of chances to give the match a slightly different turn: At a score of 3: 5, from his point of view, Zverev could have taken the opponent’s serve and come back into play, but put a forehand out. His mistakes in the 2-1 lead in the second round were even more devastating: Zverev had three break chances in a row, but missed them all – the last one by hitting a simple drop ball into the net from close range. A loss of service in the second and three in the third set meant that Zverev had to leave Paris.
The Super Friday is denied to Paris
Super Friday was previously the most promising the French Open had to offer through day thirteen. Those who were animated by the Bohei and didn’t want to be deterred by the muggy 29 degrees Celsius and the medium thunderstorm warning in Paris could try their luck at the last minute. Black marketeers around Roland Garros still had tickets at hefty prices in stock on Friday afternoon – at least they pretended so.
But as it is, the higher the expectations, the greater the risk of disappointment. The exchange of blows between Djokovic and Alcaraz was almost over after two hard-fought sets and two and a half hours of play. When the score was 1-1 in the third set, the young Spaniard, who played much more complex than the Serb, suffered cramps in his left leg. The 20-year-old didn’t want to give up, even though he could hardly move, and tried quick shots and stop balls – as expected without success.
Djokovic largely kept his nerve, but made no friends when, despite a clear lead against the ailing Alcaraz, he celebrated point wins as if the match were on a knife’s edge. Whistles and boos could even be heard during his victory speech on the Philipp-Chatrier court when Djokovic called after the Spaniard: “He’s still young enough and will often win the title here.” Alexander Zverev is also only 26.