Clearly hampered by a foul 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 no less than 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 match 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 tablets, and he did so once more Wednesday. However Ruud stated the knee started bothering him within the first set towards 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, by which he slides on his left foot, so he has been avoiding it in follow.
“Sure actions on the market are sort of what makes it painful. Sure photographs are painful to do,” stated Ruud, who additionally reached the ultimate on the 2023 US Open. “While you’re enjoying matches, you may’t actually management it in the identical manner [as in practice]. You do every part you may to get to each ball. Generally you sort of neglect that it is a shot I should not go for.”
Ruud was visited by a coach and took some tablets throughout Wednesday’s match, however nothing appeared to assist.
“It is a Slam. I like this match,” Ruud stated. “Trying again, I attempted my finest to proceed [and tried] to keep away from the photographs which are hurting. However in the direction of the tip, there have been additionally different actions that began hurting, so it wasn’t perfect.”
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 can have extra checks carried out.
“I took 5 days fully off at residence. It wasn’t sufficient to make the ache go away,” Ruud stated. “I want I may 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 Court docket 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 a terrific match. I began enjoying effectively,” 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 a little bit troublesome to take care of his sport within the second set, however I am actually joyful I stayed sturdy 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 towards Colombian fortunate loser Daniel Galan on Wednesday.
The eighth-seeded Musetti’s important bother was intermittent rain on Court docket 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 strong 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’t complain concerning 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 huge clay-court tournaments earlier than Roland Garros, stated issues began clicking into place in Monte Carlo Masters, calling it a “enhance of confidence.”
The Related Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
