Clearly hampered by a nasty left knee, two-time French Open finalist Casper Ruud dropped 13 of the final 14 video games, misplaced 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-0 to Nuno Borges within the second spherical at Roland Garros on Wednesday after which revealed he had been enjoying in ache off-and-on all through the clay-court season.
The seventh-seeded Ruud reached a minimum of the semifinals every of the previous three years in Paris — ending because the runner-up to Rafael Nadal in 2022 and Novak Djokovic in 2023 — and that is his earliest exit on the event since bowing out within the second spherical in his debut in 2018.
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz overcame a one-set blip to defeat Fabian Marozsan 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
For the previous a number of weeks, Ruud has been taking pain-killing and anti inflammatory capsules, and he did so once more Wednesday. However Ruud stated the knee started bothering him within the first set in opposition to Borges, who’s ranked forty first and have become the primary Portuguese man to get to the French Open’s third spherical. Borges will face Alexei Popyrin within the third spherical after the Australian participant eased previous Alejandro Tabilo in straight units.
Ruud stated the worst shot for his knee is an open-stance backhand, wherein he slides on his left foot, so he has been avoiding it in follow.
“Sure actions on the market are type of what makes it painful. Sure pictures are painful to do,” stated Ruud, who additionally reached the ultimate on the 2023 US Open. “Whenever you’re enjoying matches, you may’t actually management it in the identical approach [as in practice]. You do every little thing you may to get to each ball. Typically you type of overlook that this can be a shot I should not go for.”
Ruud was visited by a coach and took some capsules throughout Wednesday’s match, however nothing appeared to assist.
“It is a Slam. I like this event,” Ruud stated. “Trying again, I attempted my finest to proceed [and tried] to keep away from the pictures which are hurting. However in direction of the tip, there have been additionally different actions that began hurting, so it wasn’t best.”
He stated the issues started in his first clay occasion of the pre-French Open stretch, at Monte Carlo in April, and that he had medical exams a few weeks later in Madrid, the place he gained the title. Ruud pulled out of the Geneva Open, which was performed final week.
Now he may have extra assessments accomplished.
“I took 5 days fully off at residence. It wasn’t sufficient to make the ache go away,” Ruud stated. “I want I might keep right here longer.”
Alcaraz was toppled by Marozsan on the clay courts of Rome two years in the past and had moments of vulnerability on Courtroom Philippe-Chatrier on Wednesday, however the 22-year-old ensured there could be no early ending to his bid for a fifth Grand Slam title.
“It was an incredible match. I began enjoying properly,” Alcaraz stated. “Within the first set, I had actually excessive confidence. Within the second set, he began to play a lot better and he was actually aggressive. He did not miss in any respect, so it was somewhat troublesome to cope with his sport within the second set, however I am actually comfortable I stayed robust and refreshed myself.”
Alcaraz will subsequent face both Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard or Damir Dzumhur.
Lorenzo Musetti continued his renaissance when he eased into the third spherical with a no-nonsense 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 victory in opposition to Colombian fortunate loser Daniel Galan on Wednesday.
The eighth-seeded Musetti’s primary hassle was intermittent rain on Courtroom Simonne Matthieu as he arrange a gathering with Mariano Navone, who defeated American Reilly Opelka 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-3.
“It was a stable efficiency from the start till the tip,” Musetti stated. “I had some ups and downs through the first and the third set. Positively I can not complain in regards to the stage that I am displaying.”
Musetti, who reached the ultimate on the Monte Carlo Masters and the semifinals in Madrid and Rome within the three massive clay-court tournaments earlier than Roland Garros, stated issues began clicking into place in Monte Carlo Masters, calling it a “increase of confidence.”
The Related Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
