(Tim van Reethoven – Casper Ruud 7-6, 4-6, 4-6, 4-6) Casper Ruud has had his career best at the US Open and advances to the third round.
Casper Rudd awkwardly came off the edge of the jump in the second round of the US Open. The first set was decided in a tiebreak, and Dutchman Tim van Reethoven (25) pulled the longest straw with seven points to Ruud’s four.
But in the second set, the Norwegian responded. Van Reethoven had many chances to break the score 5-3, but Rudd saved himself again and broke straight. Then he served for the group and won 6-4. At the US Open, the best five sets.
Also in the third set, Rudd was the best when it mattered. He won 6-4 and thus had the opportunity to determine the match in the fourth set.
Van Riethoven fell and appeared to have injured his leg in the fourth set. Rudd received a standing ovation from the crowd after he went to Van Reethoven to help him and ask him if he was OK.
The fourth and final set went to Rod, who won 6-4.
In doing so, he reached the third round of the US Open – representing the best of his tournament career.
Van Reethoven ranks 117th in the world. Earlier this summer, he claimed his first ATP win when he won the Rosmalen Championships at home in the Netherlands. Then only world number one Daniil Medvedev was defeated in the final.
Tim van Rijthoven was so close to breaking the magic 100 limit in the standings, he was 101 in July. Now it is number 117.
The Dutchman reached the second round in New York when he defeated China’s Zizhen Zhang after a long game, but after nearly four hours, Van Reethoven came home 3-2.
Standard Award
Rudd has had a phenomenal season no matter what happens the rest of this year. The 23-year-old played his first Grand Slam final. On the mud in Paris, he was beaten by his great role model Rafael Nadal. After the French Open, Rudd ranked fifth in the world.
He earned at least NOK 1.87 million in prize money when he beat his Dutch opponent on Wednesday night.
The US Open set a new record for prize money this year, with winners taking home NOK 25.8 million each. For the first time, the US Open’s prize pool exceeded $60 million, 596 million kronor after Wednesday’s average.
Rudd claimed his 41st win of the year, when he sent his opponent home from New York and the US Open on Wednesday night.
In the third round, there will be American opposition to Rudd. The winner faces Sebastian Korda and Tommy Ball.
Rudd never got further than the third round at the US Open, which took place two years earlier. But then Matteo Berrettini stood in the way and blew Ruud off the field in three straight sets in just over two hours. The board is now the type where the two can meet in a quarter-final at Flushing Meadows.
Rudd is number seven in the world, while Italian Berrettini is number 14. The 23-year-old from Snaroya beat Berrettini in the final in Gstaad in July.
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