2022 Miami Open SF: Caspar Ruud (6) vs Francisco Cerundolo

[spottishwood]

Why!!!! Cerundolo gotta beat that Norwegian clay grinder

 

[spottishwood]

Spencer/Tennis Analyst & Lew

FTFY

 

[junior74]

On clay this would be a surprise but a good one. On hard...eh.

I think this is Ruud's fourth masters semi, so it's not that surprising anymore to see him go deep

 

[junior74]

Wow, great defence from Dolo there!

 

[Centrius]

Because I like him! I also like Ruud too. I am cheering on the new young guns these days!

Yeah right.

 

[Aabye5]

I think this is Ruud's fourth masters semi, so it's not that surprising anymore to see him go deep

True, but all on clay. It's not that I think Ruud is not a great clay court player, it's his hard court runs that baffle me.

 

[stringertom]

Just what the Hurkaraz winner wants…40 minutes of struggle to get to 4-4.

 

[stringertom]

True, but all on clay. It's not that I think Ruud is not a great clay court player, it's his hard court runs that baffle me.

And so should it be even more baffling that a first M1K SF run happens here for Cerundolo, the 12:1 clay:HC competitor.

 

[junior74]

Ruud takes the first set, despite being a little subpar out there.

 

[Rattie]

This is a very underwhelming match.

 

[Kralingen]

Doesn’t get any better than this folks.

 

[junior74]

Doesn’t get any better than this folks.

This is a very underwhelming match.

I think it means very much for both, and we have to suffer the consequences... High shoulders, low level

 

[Aabye5]

And so should it be even more baffling that a first M1K SF run happens here for Cerundolo, the 12:1 clay:HC competitor.

No doubt. That's not quite Raducanu surprise, but it's not something you see every day. Maybe Delpo is helping him (and Tomas) as he is helping Baez.

He needs the money and he still loves tennis. Hopefully, it's a win-win situation.

 

[Vamos Rafa Nadal]

Doesn’t get any better than this folks.

More proof that the winner on Sunday will almost certainly be from the other semi-final.

 

[_phantom]

.

This is a very underwhelming match.

Alcaraz-Kecmanovic has spoiled us.

 

[Rattie]

.

Alcaraz-Kecmanovic has spoiled us.

Just a bit! Although this is a real snoozefest

 

[Rattie]

Can’t see either of these two beating Alcaraz or Hubert. Not playing like this.

 

[onefineday]

Ruud is going to be a masters finalist. Not bad claymeister, not bad.

 

[Kralingen]

I think it means very much for both, and we have to suffer the consequences... High shoulders, low level

I think Ruud is beginning to loosen up here though. He clearly has the upper hand and honestly let Dolo off the hook by going for too much.

that BH of his still lacks consistency though, he goes DTL a bit too much for my taste when it’s not entirely necessary. Just trust the process.

 

[junior74]

Ruud is awful out there... serve is back at 2019 level, sweats like a pig, shanks, misses sitters...

 

[theSHAMOO]

what a shot

 

[_phantom]

Ruud is awful out there... serve is back at 2019 level, sweats like a pig, shanks, misses sitters...

Saving his best for the final

 

[junior74]

Holds at last...

 

[theSHAMOO]

Holds at last...

give my boy some respect

 

[junior74]

give my boy some respect

Dolo was the better player in set 1 but froze when he had to serve to stay in the set.

 

[Vamos Rafa Nadal]

Casper's 2nd serve win % is an abysmal 27% ):

 

[Kralingen]

Cerundolo officially done. Turning this one off. If you give a guy like Ruud 3 UEs in a service game, with that serve of his, only one outcome beckons.

 

[junior74]

Ruud in his first Masters1000 final - on HC

 

[Jonesy]

Imagine winning a masters 1000 on HC before the guy who said he was cheating points by winning small clay tournaments. That being said, i hope Ruud doesn't win it.

 

[Aabye5]

I wish I could say it was a good match, but after last night, almost anything would be a disappointment. The first set was good.

Congrats Ruud. First Norwegian in an M1000 final.

 

[El_Yotamo]

Well it was low quality but Ruud came through. He's not winning the final unless he makes a crazy jump in level or his opponent plays really badly/is injured

 

[stringertom]

I wish I could say it was a good match, but after last night, almost anything would be a disappointment. The first set was good.

Congrats Ruud. First Norwegian in an M1000 final.

He’s definitely checking off the boxes as he goes in the last year, not necessarily all of them and not in a more conventional sequence:

a) Won a second title (Geneva’21). Added three more titles on clay after RG.

b) Won a grass court match (Mallorca’21)

c) Won more than 3 matches on HC in a row on his way to a first HC title (The Srshs Open’21)

d) Qualified for ATP Finals and won 2 RR matches to make the SFs

e) First ever M1K final

Things most top 10 players achieving a) through e) do first:

f) win a 500

g) win a match at all 4 slams (still missing Wimby)

h) get past 4R at a slam

 

[Aabye5]

He’s definitely checking off the boxes as he goes in the last year, not necessarily all of them and not in a more conventional sequence:

a) Won a second title (Geneva’21). Added three more titles on clay after RG.

b) Won a grass court match (Mallorca’21)

c) Won more than 3 matches on HC in a row on his way to a first HC title (The Srshs Open’21)

d) Qualified for ATP Finals and won 2 RR matches to make the SFs

e) First ever M1K final

Things most top 10 players achieving a) through e) do first:

f) win a 500

g) win a match at all 4 slams (still missing Wimby)

h) get past 4R at a slam

Very true, but for all the grief Berrettini and Rublev get, there is a sizable gap in Slam performance.

On the other hand, two of the trio knocking on the door of the top ten (FAA, Sinner, Hurkacz) are missing 2nd round berth at one Slam.

 

[onefineday]

Were there many spectators?
Please don't tell me that the semi-final tickets were sold in two sessions.

 

[dking68]

Let’s be honest, a healthy Sinner would’ve taken this vulture out in straights. He only performs well whenever a top player is lackluster or the draw opens up.

 

[Rattie]

Were there many spectators?
Please don't tell me that the semi-final tickets were sold in two sessions.

No the stands were pretty empty.

 

[TheNachoMan]

Let’s be honest, a healthy Sinner would’ve taken this vulture out in straights. He only performs well whenever a top player is lackluster or the draw opens up.

Sinner is all propaganda @Lleytonstation

 

[Aabye5]

Sinner is all propaganda @Lleytonstation

 

[stringertom]

Very true, but for all the grief Berrettini and Rublev get, there is a sizable gap in Slam performance.

On the other hand, two of the trio knocking on the door of the top ten (FAA, Sinner, Hurkacz) are missing 2nd round berth at one Slam.

Just plain crazy that Felix could make the RG Boys’ final and will win his first Men’s match six years later (or longer?). Contrast that to Wilander, who won Boys’ and Men’s titles there in consecutive years.

 

[Aabye5]

Just plain crazy that Felix could make the RG Boys’ final and will win his first Men’s match six years later (or longer?). Contrast that to Wilander, who won Boys’ and Men’s titles there in consecutive years.

Go figure. I always imagine though, if you win a junior title on a surface, it's not a surface issue?

The interesting thing about Felix is that he's learned how to be patient from Uncle Toni (I would guess), and that's helped him more on grass and hard.

 

[stringertom]

Go figure. I always imagine though, if you win a junior title on a surface, it's not a surface issue?

The interesting thing about Felix is that he's learned how to be patient from Uncle Toni (I would guess), and that's helped him more on grass and hard.

It’s not a surface issue. Felix made his first two ATP finals on clay at Rio and Lyon in 2019. At Lyon he was Pairelyzed (TM) so badly he had to skip RG the next week and delayed his Men’s premiere another year.

I remember being excited about his possibilities to do some damage as a dangerous floater in the RG draw that year. He had gone out early to Zed and Nadal at two of the clay M1K warmups but then showed some promise at Rome vs Coric before losing 1R. However, he strained an adductor in the Lyon SF before losing to Paire in the final. Hindsight being 20/20, maybe he could have soldiered on in RG if he skipped that final. He was ready for grass the week following RG and made the Stuttgart final but Berry beat him there, 4&6(11).