Casper Ruud

Novak Djokovic Continues To Make Tennis History With ATP Finals Win In Turin

November 21, 2022 by tennisbloggers Leave a Comment

Novak Djokovic is continuing to re-write the tennis history books.

The Serbian sensation won a record-equaling sixth ATP Finals title in Turin, Italy by beating Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-3 to equal Roger Federer’s record of six titles at the year-end championships.

To boot, Djokovic, at age 35, became the oldest ever winner of the event and pocketed the largest pay day in the history of tennis – $4,740,300, which is $300,000 more than Ash Barty’s payday for winning the WTA Tour finals three years ago.

Djokovic, who had lost his two previous finals at the event, won the tournament for the first time in seven years.

“Seven years has been a long time,” Djokovic said. “At the same time, the fact that I waited seven years makes this victory even sweeter and even bigger. A lot of nerves … I missed a couple of forehands in the last game when I was serving for it. I had nerves, but I am really grateful to be able to serve the match out. I had a big ace to close out.”

It was Ruud’s fourth defeat in a big championship match this year after also losing finals at Miami, Roland Garros and the US Open. Ruud has never won a set against Djokovic in four meetings.

“In the end it’s been disappointing to end up losing these big finals,” Ruud said. “Overall, if you gave me an offer to end the year at No. 3, play the finals that I’ve played, at the 1st of January this year I would probably sign the contract right away. No doubt about it.

“It gives me motivation and a hunger to maybe next time — if I ever get to another final like this — I hope I can learn from what I have done this year and not been able to do and see how it goes.”

Djokovic has ended the year with an 18-1 record after winning trophies in Tel Aviv and Astana before reaching the Paris Masters final. His five titles this season also include wins at Wimbledon and in Rome.

Tennis Hall of Famer Steve Flink rated the ’12 Australian Open final between Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as No. 7 match ever in his book “The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time” available for sale here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Greatest-Tennis-Matches-Time/dp/0942257936/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358104976&sr=8-2&keywords=Steve+Flink

Carlos Alcaraz Persists To Win 2022 U.S. Open

September 12, 2022 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

Carlos Alcaraz won his first major singles title beating Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3 in the final of the U.S. Open, becoming the event’s second youngest men’s singles champion and in the process becoming the youngest man to clinch the world No. 1 ranking.

Alcaraz, at age 19 years, 4 months and 6 days, is only three months older than Pete Sampras, when he won the U.S. men’s title in 1990 at the age of 19 years, 28 days. However, Alcaraz is well over a year younger than Lleyton Hewitt as the youngest world No. 1, Hewitt assuming the top ranking in 2001 at the age of 20 years and 268 days.

The young Spaniard persisted at the end of the tournament in what four-time U.S. Open champion John McEnroe called “one of the all-time great efforts you will ever see to win an event.” He won three straight matches in five sets, including two that finished after 2 am, to reach the final, a feat last achieved by Stefan Edberg in 1992, who famously came back from a service break in the fifth set in the fourth round, quarterfinals and semifinals. Alcaraz trailed by a service break in the firth set against 2014 U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic in the fourth round before winnign 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in three hours and 54 minutes in a match that ended at 2:23 am. He then saved a match point in his quarterfinal epic win against Jannik Sinner, which he won 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-7 (0), 7-5, 6-3 in five hours and 15 minutes, the second longest U.S. Open match of all time, that finished at 2:50 am, the latest finish in U.S. Open history. In the semifinals, he again persisted in his five-set 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (5), 6-3, fighting against a roaring U.S. crowd.

Alcaraz spent a total of 23 hours, 40 minutes on court in the tournament.

Rafael Nadal Is Now The Oldest Roland Garros Champ In Addition To Being Most Dominant

June 5, 2022 by Randy Walker Leave a Comment

Seventeen years to the day when he won his first Roland Garros title and his first major title, Rafael Nadal won his 14^th Roland Garros title and his 22^nd major title.

He defeated Norway’s Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in a tension-less final that increased Nadal’s career record at Roland Garros to an incredible 112-3.

With a win, Nadal, two days past his 36^th birthday, passes fellow Spaniard Andres Gimeno as the oldest Roland Garros men’s singles champion in history. Gimeno, at age 35 years and 10 months, set the record exactly 50 years and one day earlier in 1973 when he defeated Patrick Proisy of France in the 1972 final.

It was also on June 5, back in 2005, when Nadal won Roland Garros for the first time for his first major title, as documented in the “On This Day In Tennis History” book and excerpted here:

2005 – Nineteen-year-old Rafael Nadal of Spain fends off a charge from unseeded Mariano Puerta of Argentina to win his first major singles title at the French Open. Nadal wins the title and his 24th consecutive match with a 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1 7-5 decision over the No. 37-ranked Puerta to become the fourth youngest men’s singles champion at Roland Garros. Nadal joins 1982 champion Mats Wilander as the only player to win Roland Garros in his debut.

Nadal is now a perfect 14-0 with the Coupe des Mousquetaires on the line and has never lost two sets in a Roland Garros final, much less three. His 14 Roland Garros titles are the most won by any man at a single Grand Slam event in history, followed by Novak Djokovic’s nine at the Australian Open and Roger Federer’s eight at Wimbledon.

For the first time in his career, Nadal has swept the Australian Open and Roland Garros in the same year and equaled his lowest ranking as a Grand Slam champion. He was also No. 5 at 2005 Roland Garros and the 2022 Australian Open.

Carlos Alcaraz Beats Casper Ruud For Miami Open Title

April 3, 2022 by tennisbloggers Leave a Comment

Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest ever Miami Open men’s singles champion after the 18-year-old Spaniard defeated Norway’s Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-4 in the final at Hard Rock Stadium.

Only two men have won titles at the ATP 1000 level at a younger age — Michael Chang, who was 18 years and five months old when he won Toronto in 1990, and Rafael Nadal, 18 years and 10 months when he claimed the Monte Carlo crown in 2005. To boot, Alcaraz became the first Spanish man to win in Miami, a title that even Nadal has not won in his career.

“I have no words to describe how I feel right now, but it is so special to win my first Masters 1000 here in Miami,” Alcaraz said in his post-match speech. “I’m so happy with the win and for sure with my team. “I knew Casper is playing very well, he has a big forehand. I tried to play to his backhand first and tried to go to attack, to not let him dominate the match.”

Alcaraz came back after a slow start, trailing 1-4, then broke Ruud twice early in the second en route to closing out victory, capped with a serve-and-volley winner.

The win will move Alcaraz to No. 11 in the world, but many see him as the No. 3 threat to win the French Open later this Spring, behind Nadal and world No. 1 Novak Djokovic.