Casper Ruud was victorious in a great match against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (6-7(6), 7-6(4), 6-2, 7-6(0)) in the first round of Roland Claws. After this defeat, the Frenchman says goodbye to professional tennis at 37 years old.
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Probably the most special match of the day, and perhaps of the tournament as well. Jo-Wilfried The Best Of Jo-Wilfried He was going out to play the last game of his long career in a packed Philippe Chatrier. The Le Mans player knows well what it means to play well for this club, reaching the semi-finals at Roland Garros in 2013 and 2015. On his side, Casper Ruud He arrived as the great favorite, ready to fight for the title, with his usual conditions on clay.
Ruud beats Tsonga in a match to remember
A totally fought start to the match, with a Ruud focused on making his match, and with a Tsonga who sustained himself with great services, with a stadium that was collapsing in support of the historic local. The games were advancing, barely emerging a break chance for the Norwegian but without concretion. The story ended in a tiebreak, where Jo-Wilfried gave everything and took it 8-6.
The second set would bring a similar trend, with a real battle. Ruud took the lead by going 4-3 up, but surprisingly, the Frenchman recovered the break immediately, recalling the old days of him with a devastating forehand. Again there would be no gap until the tiebreak, but this time the one who made the difference was Casper, who equaled the big score.
The beginning of the third set would be key, when Tsonga began to experience some problems with his service, which allowed him to start with a break above the Scandinavian. Ruud was already taking more confidence in his game, taking advantage of the Frenchman’s most erratic passage. Tsonga had a chance to close the gap, but failed, and with it, the Norwegian escaped numerically. Ruud would stay with the sleeve 6-2.
To enhance the spectacle, Tsonga was able to return to the level of the first two sets, to battle in a match for the last time. Logically, Ruud didn’t lower his level either, but he couldn’t resolve the complications generated by the Frenchman’s serve and right hand. Very special moment when Jo managed to break for 6-5, popping the Chatrier. However, on the last forehand that confirmed the break, the Frenchman felt severe pain in his right shoulder. From there there were some pretty painful images, with a Tsonga who couldn’t get or hit his forehand hard. Ruud recovered the break taking things to a tiebreak. And in that tiebreaker, more than having a tennis fight, there was a lot of emotion understanding that they were the last points of his career. Ruud made it through to the second round, showing absolute respect for the retiring legend.
