This is an article ‘Closing the US Open with a bang!’ by Marc Pulisci
At the US Open on Friday, Casper Ruud defeated Karen Khachanov 7-6(5), 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 to book a place in his second Grand Slam final, significantly increasing his prospects of reaching No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.
The 27th seed attacked hard, but the Norwegian took it in stride as he prevailed in a titanic 55-shot rally to take the opening set. The fifth seed displayed intense play for the three-hour match, forcing the 26-year-old into mistakes to get within one victory of winning his first major championship.
Casper Ruud and Carlos Alcaraz are the only players in contention for the top spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings at the US Open. Rafael Nadal was disqualified when Ruud defeated Karen Khachanov in the US Open semifinals. During the second semifinal, Alcaraz defeated Tiafoe, making the Sunday championship match a winner-takes-all contest for a Grand Slam trophy and the top spot in the world rankings.
But to many tennis fans, more fireworks are to be expected as this year's US Open winds down to two exciting finals matches.
Opening night highlights
When the last grand slam of the year opened in late August at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the first match saw No. 1 seed in the men's singles draw Daniil Medvedev and Stefan Kozlov at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Medvedev easily defeated Kozlov, taking the match in straight sets just a little past the two-hour mark.
Then there's also Serena Williams, who might be returning for her final competitive tournament, taking the stage in front of a live audience during prime time. Williams defeated Danka Kovinic 6-3, 6-3. Women's tennis legend Billie Jean King honored Williams right after the match with excellent serves and a dominant form during the last two points of the match.
Coco Gauff also made waves on opening night. Leolia Jeanjean's serve was broken twice by the No. 12 seed in the opening set to establish a commanding 4-1 lead, and the former was never able to recover from there. Gauff continued to rule the second set, earning another service break and forcing Jeanjean to give up 12 break-point opportunities.
Will Alcaraz cruise to No. 1?
Carlos Alcaraz, the 17-year-old rising star from Spain, defeated American Francie Tiafoe in a thrilling five-set match at Arthur Ashe Stadium for the semifinal round to advance to his first-ever US Open final.
In his previous matches, Alcaraz had to defeat Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals, which broke the record for the latest finish time for a match at 2:50 a.m. and was the second-longest US Open match in history at five hours and 15 minutes.
Tiafoe, in turn, stunned 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal, in the fourth round, then eventually defeated No. 9 Andrey Rublev in straight sets without much challenge. Tiafoe embodies the classic American immigrant tale. His parents fled the civil war in Sierra Leone, and he was born and raised in College Park, Maryland, on the grounds of the Junior Tennis Champions Center. There, his father served as director of grounds maintenance, and soon, the young tennis star started capturing titles at the Delray Beach championship at age 20.
On the other hand, Alcaraz started training pretty late, but his rise to the top ranks is undeniable. Currently at the No. 4 spot, the 19-year-old US Open finalist has a chance to take the top ATP spot and be its youngest ever. That is if he manages to get past Norwegian Casper Ruud in the highly anticipated finals.
Casper Ruud is eyeing two birds with one stone
Like Alcaraz, Ruud also has the chance to capture this year's US Open title and the top spot in the ATP rankings if he can get past the 19-year-old Spaniard on finals night.
Before his semifinal match against Khachanov, Ruud lost to Nadal in the Roland Garros final in June. But the fifth-seeded player has the chance to claim the distinction of becoming the first Norwegian to hold the No. 1 spot on Monday if he wins in New York. In a way, Ruud got his revenge when he eliminated Nadal's chances of regaining the top spot on Monday by making it to the final.
The 23-year-old had competed in New York four times but had never advanced past the third round. He defeated seeds Tommy Paul and Matteo Berrettini on the North American hard courts and moved to the semifinals against Kachanov, who he battled in four sets.
Ruud and UK's Cameron Norrie are now tied with 44 victories at the tour level for the year though only Stefanos Tsitsipas (46) and Alcaraz (49) have made more strides than the two. The nine-time tour-level champion won multiple titles in Buenos Aires, Geneva, and Gstaad last year while also reaching the Miami final.
The final match
For the women’s final match, The number one-ranked Iga Swiatek will compete for her third Grand Slam title against Ons Jabeur, who will have another opportunity to win her maiden major championship after losing the Wimbledon final this year.
Caroline Garcia, a quick-handed Frenchwoman who enjoys imitating an airplane after winning, was defeated by Jabeur in just over an hour. In the other semifinal match, Aryna Sabalenka, who is considered a force of nature and one of the incredibly rare ball strikers strong enough to impose her will on the explosive Swiatek, bowed down to the top player after more than two hours of play.
While Swiatek and Jabeur have split their four prior meetings and Jabeur has had a more direct path to her first U.S. Open, Swiatek, 21, deserves to be the favorite on Saturday.
Perhaps, more fans are expecting greater competitiveness at the men’s finals. Alcaraz's first three victories in New York over Jenson Brooksby, Federico Coria, and Sebastian Baez were all relatively easy. Marin Cilic and Jannik Sinner then took him to five sets in the fourth round and the quarterfinals, respectively. The younger finalist's impressive victories eventually led him into a semifinal matchup with Frances Tiafoe, reaching five sets.
Meanwhile, Ruud defeated Kyle Edmund, Tim van Rijthoven, Tommy Paul, Corentin Moutet, and Matteo Berrettini on his way to the semifinals. To advance to the championship round, he faced Karen Khachanov and, within four sets, won the match.
For oddsmakers, it is essential to note that Alcaraz leads Ruud 2-0 in the head-to-head by winning their previous encounter at the 2022 Miami Open in straight sets. On the money line, Alcaraz has a -200 score, while Ruud has a +175. Both players faced formidable challenges on their way to the final, but Alcaraz, who has now won three straight five-set matches, might be particularly exhausted.
Nonetheless, with youth versus experience in the offing, whoever is thirstier to capture their first Grand Slam championship and become the new World No. 1 will undoubtedly be deserving.
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