Global Courant
They play from 9.30 (ESPN). The Norwegian is the last obstacle for the Serbian to become the top winner of majors and the best in history?
The Norwegian Casper Ruud, fourth player in the world ranking without making too much noise, is the last obstacle for Novak Djokovic (3rd) to tie with Rafael Nadal and reach the extraterrestrial record of 23 Grand Slam titles, on Sunday in the Roland Garros final . It is played from 9.30 in Argentina with live TV on ESPN.
After two decades of professional career and a legendary fight with the retired Roger Federer (20 majors) and the absent Rafael Nadal, the Serbian could deliver the almost final blow. His last barrier is the consistent and seamless tennis of Ruud, already a finalist last year against Nadal, who won his 14th Musketeers Cup in three sets, including a donut (win without losing games) in the last chapter. As a bonus track, Nole will recover the number one in the world.
“Last year it was Rafa, this year it’s Novak, the two best… I won’t be the favorite but I’ll do the best I can,” the 24-year-old tennis player said with his usual prudence after reviewing the ‘semis’ Alexander Zverev (27th). The German offered an interesting analysis of the final: “Is Novak the favourite? Yes, of course. Does Casper have options? Yes. Novak is one of the best, sure, but when you are on the threshold of the story I think you have a little more pressure.
Alcaraz could not with the greatness of Djokovic. Photo: Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP
“Do you remember the US Open final against Medvedev? The pressure is there, we are all human, Novak is human,” Zverev added about the duel lost in three sets by the Serbian in the final of the 2021 American ‘great’, staying at one match away from completing the first Grand Slam in a year – winning all four big ones – since 1969.
It was precisely the pressure that Carlos Alcaraz (1st) felt that helped Djokovic advance to the final. In the match highlighted by the whole world, the Spanish phenomenon paid the bill for facing a legend. After sharing the first two sets, the new golden boy of world tennis physically collapsed and felt cramps throughout his body. He did not compete in the next two chapters and delivered the match.
“If someone tells you that it’s the same to have Djokovic on the other side of the net than anyone else, they’re lying. The nerves and the physical demand that Nole took me to in the first two sets caused everything,” said Alcaraz, a good advice to Ruud.
The Norwegian reaches the last match in a Grand Slam for the third time. In addition to Roland Garros, last year he lost the US Open against Alcaraz himself.
Casper Ruud celebrates the win over Alexander Zverev. Photo: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Opposite you will have a sports monument. At 36, Djokovic -387 weeks as world number 1, which he will recover if he wins- will play his 34th Grand Slam final of the 70 that he has played. At Roland Garros it will be his seventh. He won the 2016 and 2021 editions.
In this tournament he did not show his best version in the previous rounds, but against Alcaraz he took a step forward, subjecting the applicant to such pressure that he ended up physically bursting.
Now Nole faces a tennis player without the glamor of Carlitos, who has also won the four games they have played without dropping a set.”Experience can help control your emotions or your energy expenditure, but it will not make you win a game. And history is something that always hovers over me”, summed up the Serbian.
A 23rd Grand Slam entails the title of the best tennis player in history, at least until Nadal says his last word. Ruud, trained in the Spanish academy in Mallorca, will try to do his referent a favor and successfully defend the tie at 22.
Fuente: AFP
