By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, Could 13, 2026
Photograph credit score: Internazionali BNL d’Italia Fb
Seeing Casper Ruud chasing down a lob together with his again to the web, Karen Khachanov had the Norwegian proper the place he wished him.
Then Ruud conjured shotmaking magic to run Khachanov proper out of Rome.
A wondrous Ruud tweener prolonged the purpose and he ended it with a exact forehand go that eluded Khachanov.
That third-set sequence helped Ruud conquer Khachanov 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 to advance to his fourth Rome semifinal.
Even when Khachanov performed over his head, Ruud responded with some inventive solutions on the crimson clay.
The victory vaults Ruud again to the Top 20 in the ATP Live Rankings and into the semifinals in opposition to both Thirty second-seeded Spaniard Rafael Jodar or 18th-seeded Italian Luciano Darderi.
Although he arrived within the Everlasting Metropolis ranked No. 25, former world No. 2 Ruud believes he’s a greater participant now than he was reaching three Grand Slam finals.
“It’s humorous as a result of after I’m standing right here right now with the rating that I’ve, which is worse than what I
have been, I really feel like I’m a greater participant than what I used to be two, three, 4 years in the past,” Ruud advised the media in Rome. “Rating doesn’t all the time form of replicate on how you’re feeling on courtroom. That’s okay.”
This run to the Rome last 4 is Ruud’s greatest ATP Masters 1000 consequence since he received Madrid final yr.
“I’m additionally lifelike, realizing I misplaced a number of matches that possibly I shouldn’t have misplaced and didn’t need to lose this yr, the place possibly I didn’t do the years the place I used to be prime 10, prime 5 on the planet,” Ruud mentioned. “High quality of tennis is simply rising and rising. Regardless that I really feel like I’ve upped my degree since two, three, 4 years in the past, different gamers have achieved the identical, or much more so.
“They’ve a greater curve than myself. There’s nothing mistaken with that. I simply have to just accept it and preserve working onerous.”
The 27-year-old Ruud managed robust moments right now with daring play. Along with hammering his trademark topspin forehand into the corners, Ruud typically stunned Khachanov smacking his two-handed backhand down the road to open the courtroom.
On a humid day creating heavy courtroom situations, Ruud was ripping forehands averaging 85 mph, in line with Tennis Channel stats, in roaring to that 4-1 lead.
The Ruud backhand down the road was an enormous weapon as effectively opening the courtroom and typically even ending factors.
Bolting a backhand down the road, Ruud raced in throwing down a smash for triple break level. When Khachanov scattered a forehand off the highest of the tape that fell extensive, Ruud broke once more for a 5-1 lead.
Serving for the set, Ruud closed in assertion model. Cracking a clear crosscourt forehand winner for triple set level, Ruud rocketed an ace down the T to shut the 32-minute set with command.
Khachanov held to start out the second set then the bathe intensified into persistent rain prompting play to be suspended after 40 minutes.
After a couple of two-hour rain delay, the pair returned to the courtroom with the solar lastly peaking by way of.
That’s when Khachanov introduced the thunder. Amping up the tempo on his groundstrokes and driving the ball nearer to the traces, Khachanov utterly flipped the script within the second set.
The previous Rolex Paris Masters champion was the one dictating rallies within the second set seizing a 4-0 double-break lead.
Khachanov crunched a backhand down the road capping a love maintain for 5-0.
Serving to power a last set, Khachanov slashed successive aces to seal the second set on a run of 10 consecutive service factors received.
A topsy-turvy match took one other drastic flip as Ruud roared out to a 4-0 lead within the decider.
That surge was highlighted by Ruud’s outstanding tweener-forehand go mixture that helped him acquire break level within the fourth sport. Ruud rolled a backhand go down the road breaking once more for 4-0.
Credit score Khachanov for persevering with the struggle. The bearded Russian broke again at love then saved a break level to carry for 2-4.
Ruud recalled Jimmy Connors’ Flushing Meadows win over Paul Haarhuis when he ran down three smashes in a row constantly lofting again defensive lobs till Khachanov bungled a last smash to face triple match level. On his second match level, Ruud ended a one hour, 41-minute victory that was actually a match of three distinctly completely different acts.
Ruud rides a 16-9 report in 2026 into his first semifinal of the season.
