Casper Ruud on the road to Novak Djokovic: Jannik Sinner watches them

The big challenge for the quarterfinals è set.

Casper Ruud will face Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros. The Norwegian è imposed himself on Taylor Fritz in a delicate challenge, resolved in four sets after almost three and a half hours of battle: 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 the scoreboard that rewards the number 7 in the ATP ranking, ready now to face the one who aims to defend his peak from the assault of Jannik Sinner.

Delicate for Ruud in particular the first two sets, which in total lasted more than two hours and in which the American sold his skin very dearly. In the first, in fact, came breaks and counter-breaks in the second and third games before the tie-break rewarded the Scandinavian (skilled, moreover, to recover from the initial 0-4). Instead, the second set saw Fritz take a 3-0 lead, maintaining the three-game advantage until the end.

The difficulties seemed to continue in the third set, with Fritz ahead by one game after snatching service from his rival at 2-1. Then però Ruud won four in a row, crucial to bring himself ahead despite the two breaks (one each) that closed the score. The decisive set was instead written in just over half an hour, with a new acceleration of the Norwegian who at 2-2 changed pace and strung together a new string of four sets.

Now Ruud will face Djokovic, fresh off a difficult victory over Francisco Cerundolo. In fact, the Argentine surrendered after as many as four and a half hours and five sets, with the Serb able to take back two (6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3). The eventual direct challenge with Jannik Sinner may come only in the final. Meanwhile, the long-distance one for the No. 1 ATP ranking continues.