After making history by qualifying for his 77th Masters 1000 semi-final, one more than Rafael Nadal and eleven more than Roger Federer,
Novak Djokovic
, world number 1, said goodbye to Monte Carlo by falling in three sets with the Norwegian Casper Ruud, who He will define the title with the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, already owner of two trophies in the Principality of Monaco.
Ruud, who
had never managed to win a set in five meetings with the world number one
, won 6-4, 1-6 and 6-4 (including a double fault by the Serbian in the last point) and reached his second final of Masters 1000; Previously, he lost in Miami in 2022.
The runner-up at Roland Garros in 2022 and 2023 had the victory in hand and gave the sensation of suffering vertigo against the winner of twenty-four Grand Slam titles. From a 4-1 lead in the final set, he found himself 4-4 after the Belgrade player's reaction. The Oslo tennis player regained his strength and won the next two games and closed out the victory over his rival's serve after two hours and eighteen minutes.
The Oslo tennis player
had never beaten
Djokovic. Neither on clay, two defeats in Rome and one at Roland Garros, nor on hard courts, in two ATP finals.
However, the antecedent had no psychological weight. He did not waste the opportunity against an opponent who has not yet won anything so far this year and who had not been successful in Monte Carlo since he won his last title, in 2015. The second after the one he won in 2013.
The game went back and forth, but Ruud showed his intention from the start. He broke from the start and had a 4-1 lead. In the end, he secured the set, which he won 6-4. The Serbian's reaction was forceful. 3-0 in the second quarter, which closed 6-1.
In the final, the Norwegian was 3-0 and also 4-1. But Djokovic grew, who equalized at four games. When it seemed like the Norwegian was sinking again, he recovered. He won his serve and then broke the Serb's to close the match and meet Tsitsipas in Sunday's final.
This Sunday, Ruud, who has accumulated ten titles, none this year, and ten finals, will face Stefanos Tsitsipas, who will go for his third title in Monte Carlo. The Greek defeated an unbeatable Jannik Sinner (2nd ATP) in the semis by 6-4, 3-6 and 6-4.
The winner in 2021 and 2022 of this Masters 1000 had not beaten a player as highly ranked in the ATP rankings as Sinner since he beat the Russian Daniil Medvedev, then world number 2, at Roland Garros in 2021. He has not played in a final either. of a Masters 1000 on clay from Rome in 2022.
"I had to recover a level at which I had not played in a long time on clay," stressed Tsitsipas, who had been eliminated in the quarterfinals last year in this tournament.
This Saturday, Sinner, who already has three titles this year, remained in control at the beginning of the decisive set and went up 4-3 with his serve. But at that moment he called for a medical timeout and a trainer massaged his right knee and thigh. Although Sinner joked with him, the situation became serious in the next game. Tsitsipas broke his serve on the fifth attempt to tie the score.
Sinner limped a bit at the end of the next game and pulled the hamstring in his left leg before getting massages on both legs. His movement was restricted in the deciding game and Tsitsipas won on the first match point.
Tsitsipas broke Sinner's serve and held a 3-1 lead in the first set. The intensity level of both increased in the second set and the ninth game lasted 13 minutes in which Sinner saved five break points to tie the duel.
He then broke Tsitsipas in the first game of the third set. At this point it seemed imminent that the Italian would advance to another final. In fact, the 22-year-old tennis player was enjoying himself and smiled at his coaching team after winning a match with an audacious dropshot in the fifth game.
But Tsitsipas, who faced Djokovic in a five-set final at France 2021, showed his trademark resilience to come out on top when Sinner began to fade.
In the ATP classification that will be published on Monday, the Greek is certain to return to the Top 10. In it, the Italian will remain at number 2 after having reached the semifinals.
With agency information