Fifth seed Ruud sees off Moutet to reach US Open quarter-finals for first time

The Norwegian’s four-set win sends him through to a meeting with Matteo Berrettini for a place in the last four

AI/Reuters/Panoramic

September 4, 2022

Fifth seed Casper Ruud beat French lucky loser Corentin Moutet 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-2 to move into the quarter-finals of the US Open for the first time in his career on Sunday.

Ruud, ranked No 7 and the runner-up at the French Open in June, will face Italian Matteo Berrettini, the No 13 seed, who edged out Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in five sets.

“I had a great start,” said Ruud, who was already the first man from Norway ever to make the last 16. “The scoreline, the sets I won, wasn’t maybe showing the real result. Corentin is very tricky player, he has all the shots, runs well, has trick shots, drop shots, everything.

“I was playing really well until I was broken in the third, which was a bit frustrating. “Fourth set I didn’t change much, I was just able to dictate a little more.”

Roland Garros ↔️ #USOpen

Casper Ruud is making major noise at his second Grand Slam this year. pic.twitter.com/Vx821F80fJ
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 4, 2022

The 23-year-old had not made it past the third round in four previous visits to New York but in the past couple of years, he has transformed himself from a clay-courter into someone at home on hard courts.

Though eight of his nine ATP titles have come on clay, he owns a hard-court title, won in San Diego last year and he reached the final in Miami in March. The runner-up to Rafael Nadal at the French Open, he was too good for world No 112 Moutet, who snuck into the draw as a lucky loser.

Casper Ruud of Norway, 2022 U.S. Open | AI / Reuters / Panoramic

“I think I’m lucky that I’m playing in this time of tennis,” Ruud said. “I know when my father (Christian, a former pro) played 20, 25 years ago hard courts were playing a lot faster. I’m feeling good on hard courts, even though clay is my first favourite.”

Frenchman Moutet well beaten

Ruud romped through the first set, prompting Moutet to hit the ground for some press-ups.

Corentin Moutet getting ready for a fourth set against Casper Ruud (probably).pic.twitter.com/0NUyRZ4vjJ
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 4, 2022

The beat-down continued in the second set but Moutet fought well in the third, recovering from a break down to snatch a tiebreak and extend the match into a fourth set.

But Ruud, who ended up with 43 winners to 39 unforced errors, righted the ship again in the fourth set and held on for a comfortable victory.

Ruud beat Kyle Edmund (6-3, 7-5, 6-2), Dutchman Tim van Rijthoven (6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4) and American Tommy Paul, the No 29 seed (7-6 (3), 6-7 (5), 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-0) ahead of his victory.

In the previous rounds, Moutet defeated Swiss Stan Wawrinka (6-4, 7-6 (7) ret.), Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, the No 21 seed (6-4, 1-6, 6-2, 6-4) and Argentinian Pedro Cachin (6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5).