MADRID, 13 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Norwegian tennis player Casper Ruud surprised (6-4, 1-6, 6-4) the world number one Novak Djokovic to reach the final of the Monte Carlo tournament, the third Masters 1,000 of the season, where he will face the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas , who knocked down the number two, the Italian Jannik Sinner 6-4, 3-6 and 6-4.
The Principality’s ATP event was left without a dream final between the two main favorites. In the first semifinal this Saturday, Tsitsipas, far from the best version of himself this season, met again in Montercalo, where he was champion in 2021 and 2022, in search of the eleventh title in his record with reborn tennis.
Sinner, champion this year of the Australian Open, the Rotterdam tournament and the Miami Masters 1,000, suffered his second defeat of the season, amid cramps in the third set and a referee error that allowed Tsitsipas to defend his serve and avoid a second ‘break’ against.
The Greek came back from the set to reach a well-known final, where he will face Ruud who also claimed his status as a top player on clay, a two-time Roland Garros finalist, to reach his second Masters 1,000 final, with the biggest victory of his career before number one.
Djokovic, who did not have enough this week in Monte Carlo, ended up kneeling against Ruud who had not taken a set from him in the previous five duels. The Norwegian achieved his first victory against a ‘Top 3’ in the world, a ‘Nole’ that reacted in the second set but gave in in the third, defeated with a ‘break’ that was 6-4, in the first semi-final in his city of residence since 2015.