Tennis: Next top player out: Ruud fails at US Open

tennis
Next top player out: Ruud fails at US Open

For Casper Ruud, the US Open 2023 ended early. photo

© Cole Burston/The Canadian Press via AP/dpa

A year ago, Casper Ruud was still in the final at the US Open. Now the Norwegian is eliminated early. He’s not the first top pro to get it.

last year’s finalist Casper Ruud was eliminated early on as another possible rival of Novak Djokovic for the final of the US Open. The 24-year-old Norwegian surprisingly lost his second round game against the Chinese Zhang Zhizhen on Wednesday evening 4: 6, 7: 5, 2: 6, 6: 0, 2: 6.

At the Grand Slam tournament in New York, the three players highest in the world rankings, whom Djokovic could have met in his half of the draw on the possible way to the final, have already failed: Ruud (4), the Dane Holger Rune (5) and Stefanos Tsitsipas from Greece (7). Djokovic meets his Serbian compatriot Laslo Djere in the third round.

Ruud fought back with a perfect fourth set. He then complained to the referee that his opponent had taken too long a toilet break in the break before the fifth round and lost his step completely. He had completely changed, Zhang explained his absence after the game. “I tried to be fast.” The world number 67. meets Australia’s Rinky Hijikata in the third round.

dpa

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