Casper Ruud created history on Friday night, September 9, 2022, when he defeated Russian star Karen Khachanov in the semifinal of the US Open to advance to the final. He became the first Norwegian player to reach the final when he beat Khachanov 7-6(5), 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.
The 23-year-old has been in fine form in 2022, from becoming French Open finalist to winning the Swiss and Geneva Opens and reaching the finals of the French Open and Cincinnati Masters. He also won the Wimbledon men’s doubles title this year.
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Ruud’s powerful forehand helped her to defeat Khachanov on Friday night at the Flushing Meadows, following a 55-shot rally to end the first-set tiebreak.
Watch his winning moment here:
“This match is probably the biggest match for both of our careers,” Ruud said after the match. “You want to take care of the opportunities you have and I was able to do that today,” he added.
“I tried to not show Karen that I’m tired because I don’t want him to think that, ‘This is tiring for Casper’,” the world no. 7 said.
Ruud is regarded widely for his abilities on clay, however, showed his poise on hard courts too at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in his semifinal win. He won 14 straight points against Khachanov, which resulted in a 5-1 lead in the second set.
However, he dropped the third set as Khachanov won it 5-7, following 11 unforced errors by the Norwegian, who conceded a break on set point.
Also Read: US Open 2022: Casper Ruud beats Karen Khachanov to reach semifinals
The Norwegian star made a comeback in the next set, when he converted breaks on chances in the last two games of the set, clinching the win with a forehand.
Ruud is one of the two players to rise to the top of the ATP rankings this year, with the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas all out of the equation. Ruud will become the first Norwegian man to be crowned world no.1 if he beats Carlos Alcaraz in the final, according to ATP.
