Upsets at Monte-Carlo Masters: Ruud defeats Djokovic, Tsitsipas advances to final

Casper Ruud delivered a stunning performance to defeat top seed Novak Djokovic 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 in the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters on Saturday, April 13. This victory, which avenged his previous loss to Djokovic in last year’s French Open final, sets him up for a championship match against Stefanos Tsitsipas, who won the other semi-final.

In the first semi-final of the day, Greek player Tsitsipas, a two-time champion at this event, overcame second seed Jannik Sinner with a scoreline of 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Tsitsipas managed to maintain his composure and thwart Sinner’s comeback efforts, especially after the Italian had surged to a 3-0 lead in the second set.

Norwegian Ruud, who had previously never beaten Djokovic in their five encounters, broke Djokovic’s serve twice early in the first set. Although Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam winner, rallied back to dominate the second set, Ruud capitalized on Djokovic’s five unforced errors early in the final set to take a 3-0 lead, eventually securing his place in the final by maintaining his composure through to the end.

In the other match, Tsitsipas halted Sinner’s formidable momentum this year, which included wins at the Australian Open, Rotterdam, and Miami Open. Sinner, who had only one loss in 23 matches prior to this, took a medical timeout during the decisive set due to a leg injury but couldn’t regain his rhythm against Tsitsipas. Despite the setback, Tsitsipas took advantage of the situation and won the last three games to seal the match.

With this victory, Tsitsipas is set to re-enter the top 10 rankings, having dropped out earlier in the year for the first time since 2019. His opponent in the final will be Ruud, who earned his spot by overcoming the formidable challenge posed by Djokovic in a thrilling three-set match.