By Kingsley Elliot Kaye
Can we not say that the last night session of Roland Garros 2022 staging the 19-year old Dane Holger Rune up against the 23-year old Norwegian Casper Ruud evoked the perfect script for a last episode of a Netflix series: a duel for the throne between two Vikings, the younger and the older, the bolder and the wiser, the extrovert and the quiet guy; both brandishing metal-alloy swords forged in dungeons, watched over in the boxes by their ambitious mentors, a mother and a father, in a nightly arena lit by dragons spitting fire.
As it often happens, it was the most experienced who ended up prevailing over the budding champion, at least in this early confrontation on the grand stage of a Major. The consistency of Ruud’s forehand, and his determination to run miles so as to fire it from any position yielded that extra margin, which may have appeared slighter on court than on the score, 6-1 4-6 7-6(2) 6-3. Rune displayed a wonderous backhand down the line, already one of the crackers on the tour, and proved to be endowed with a rare unpredictability. He has the capability of overturning a point at any moment, even when stretched to the utmost, thanks to his talent for generating speed when striking a ball just after rebound, like a table tennis shot.
The first set flew away, Rune was betrayed by nerves and emotions. He lost his first two service games and wasn’t hitting through his shots. Rune pocketed it 6-1 in 33 minutes.
“I started great but then Holger fought back and raised his level. It became a really tough match. He’s become much more dangerous, much more unpredictable. He plays fearless, he goes for big shots and makes a lot of them. He makes It challenging for you.” Said Ruud.
In the second set Rune was close to falling behind again when he faced two break points in the third game. He saved the first with an excellent serve and the second one with a low drop volley. He kept that service but lost the following one. When Ruud was up 40-0 with three chances for a 4-2 lead the match seemed to be taking an irrevocable twist. But suddenly Rune was striking with power and Ruud was cornered, his shots no longer hurting and landing just after the service line. The Dane broke back and began to deploy more and more his fearless and often unpredictable game, striking Ruud’s balls while still rising and taking the driver’s seat in the rally. At 5-4 one of his gorgeous backhands down the line earned him three break and set points. He grabbed the first and equalized the set count.
The third set was the closest. It went with serve for the first six games. Both players chose to position far behind the baseline to return, which often resulted in hitting too short and allowing the server to come in and reap points with his forehand.
The first break point was for Ruud, who changed pace and lift to entice an unforced error and then took the break for a 4-3 lead, moving out wide on return and hitting an inside-in spinning forehand, deep and unretrievable.
But Rune didn’t give up and responded immediately by setting up breakpoints in the next game after playing crosscourt forehands which caught Ruud off balance. Ruud netted a backhand down the line and the Dane bounced back into the set.
Rune was well anticipating with his backhand down the line every time Ruud’s shots landed too short. But in the eleventh game he committed three unforced errors and had to save a break point with a serve and volley to hold on.
The set fairly strode on to a deciding tiebreak. Rune missed a fatal dropshot and conceded a minibreak at 3-2. Ruud won a straining rally to lead 5-2 and with a backhand down and on the line he secured 4 set points. And grabbed the set with his favourite inside-out forehand.
In the fourth set it was Rune who ran the greater risks. In the fourth game he faced two break points, but scored four winners in a row and dug himself out of a first dangerous hole.
Though still constantly seeking creative aggression Rune’s game was oozing errors. Ruud had three further break points at 4-3. Rune didn’t flinch and hit 4 winners off his forehand. But a missed dropshot volley let Ruud back in and the Norwegian, less spectacular but consistent, engraved the break into his scoreboard.
At 5-3, serving for the match he was impeccable, resisting pressure and cunningly waiting for his chance to take over rallies. He deserved three match points and on the second he carried on pounding inside-out forehands till he closed with an inside-in on the line to reach his first semi-final at Roland Garros and in a Major. He will take on Marin Cilic.
“These are the matches you dream about playing,” he said. “Marin has been great all week and it’s going to be another tough match.”
