In the second semi final of the day, Alexander Zverev will face Casper Ruud for a spot in Sunday’s championship match. It would be Ruud’s third straight final if he wins this one, with the odds looking stacked against him once again. The head-to-head here is 2-2 with the most recent match being here last year, with Ruud cruising to a 6-3 6-4 6-0 victory.
Zverev’s incredibly rally tolerance was on show again in his 6-4 7-6 6-4 win over Alex de Minaur. The Aussie ending up hitting 58 unforced errors in the match, getting driven by mad by Zverev from the baseline. It will have been a welcome outing for Zverev, having gone the distance in back-to-back matches before this one. “I like to work to my absolute limit, and if I do that, then playing five sets, all of a sudden, is not that difficult. I’ve been doing that over many, many years now, and I’m happy it’s paying off, still paying off. I’m happy to be in another semi-final, and hopefully, I can win one.” he said.
Ruud will be well rested thanks to Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal, meaning he will have not played since Monday. The Norwegian has played well this tournament but not anything outstanding, dropping at least a set in each of his last three matches. His decision to play Geneva the week before this tournament has paid off, giving him a big confidence boost coming into Paris.
While their meeting here was one-sided last year, a repeat seems unlikely. Zverev was still nowhere near his best following his return from injury and a solid Ruud was able to take advantage. The issue for Zverev is that Ruud will not beat himself in the same way de Minaur did, meaning the German will have to attack more than he may like. Ruud will be just as solid from the baseline and his freshness could give him the edge if this one ends up going north of three hours.
Prediction – Casper Ruud in five sets
