Norway’s Casper Ruud showed the New York crowd just how fast he is in the No. 5 seed’s quarterfinal win on Tuesday.
Ruud defeated No. 13 Matteo Berrettini 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 in impressive fashion under a closed Arthur Ashe Stadium roof due to heavy rain in the area.
Wherever the Italian hit the ball, Ruud was there to keep the point in play. On one point in particular in the second set, the crowd handed the 23-year-old a standing ovation: He hit a “tweener” (a shot between the legs) on the complete run to almost fully lob the 6-foot-5 Berrettini.
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Despite not getting the ball completely over the Italian’s head, Ruud went on to win the point off of a forehand unforced error.
“Congrats to him,” Berrettini said after the loss. “I told him, he also said he played unbelievable match. So, yeah, nothing I can say more.”
With the win, Ruud will be playing for more than just a U.S. Open title, but also a chance to be the new world No. 1. If he wins the title on Sunday, he will leave New York as the top-ranked player. He will also reach that milestone by just making it to the final if No. 3 seed Carlos Alcaraz loses in the quarters or semis.
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If Ruud loses to Alcaraz in the final, the Spaniard will become the new No. 1. If neither win, Rafael Nadal will reclaim the top spot.
In the meantime, Ruud moves on to the semifinals where he will face the winner of Nick Kyrgios and Karen Khachanov.
