Casper Ruud vs Alexander Zverev – Semi-Final – Preview & Prediction | 2023 French Open
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THE FACTS
When is Casper Ruud vs Alexander Zverev on and what time does it start? Casper Ruud vs Alexander Zverev will take place on Friday 9th June, 2023 – not before 16:30 (UK)
Where is Casper Ruud vs Alexander Zverev taking place? Casper Ruud vs Alexander Zverev will take place at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France
What surface is Casper Ruud vs Alexander Zverev being played on? Casper Ruud vs Alexander Zverev will take place on an outdoor clay court
Where can I get tickets for Casper Ruud vs Alexander Zverev? Visit this link for the latest ticket information for Casper Ruud vs Alexander Zverev
What channel is Casper Ruud vs Alexander Zverev on in the UK? Eurosport have the rights to the French Open in the UK
Where can I stream Casper Ruud vs Alexander Zverev in the UK? discovery+ subscribers can stream Casper Ruud vs Alexander Zverev live while the match can be streamed on Eurosport Player and Amazon Prime Video if it is televised
THE LOWDOWN
Former world number two Alexander Zverev survived a strong test from Tomas Martin Etcheverry to earn his return to the semi-finals of Roland-Garros in four sets. The 26-year-old suffered a horrendous, season-ending ankle injury in a tight match with eventual champion Rafael Nadal at this stage of the tournament last summer and it clearly means the world to him to emulate his run. The German finished runner-up to Dominic Thiem in his only previous Grand Slam final to date, losing to the Austrian from two sets up at the US Open in 2020.
World number four Casper Ruud has endured a really odd season so far this year but he has earned his place in the semi-finals at Roland-Garros after two impressive wins over in-for Nicolas Jarry and an out-of-sorts Holger Rune. The 24-year-old finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal here last summer in a one-sided contest but he fared much better in his second major final in 2022, taking Carlos Alcaraz to four sets before defeat. Ruud also finished runner-up to Novak Djokovic at the ATP Finals late last season to heap pressure on this year that he will now, perhaps, be able to shake off.
THE PREDICTION
Alexander Zverev leads Casper Ruud 2-1 in their head-to-head record but Ruud won their most recent encounter at the Miami Open last spring, where he went on to finish runner-up to Alcaraz, and this is their first encounter on his favoured clay. The Norwegian still managed to add a 10th ATP title to his name at the Estoril Open in April but he has yet to win a tournament higher than ATP 250 level and that could suggest that he can be overpowered by the very top players on tour. Whilst Zverev is currently ranked 27th in the world he has been improving with each round in Paris to look a top 10 player once more, perhaps top five, in all but rank. The German looked the better player at this stage of last summer’s clash with Rafael Nadal before his injury, although Nadal would likely have found his way through in his Parisian fortress, and if he can find a level like that in this potential thriller then the match will be on his racket. Zverev has won at least a set in all three of their encounters, making backing him to earn at least two here the sensible way to avoid picking a winner, but if forced to take a side here the former world number two has the higher ceiling.
