US Open runner-up Casper Ruud: ‘My dad told me when I was a kid that I had to hit him like Fernando González’

This Sunday, Casper Ruud will face one of the most important games he will play in his career. The US Open finalist will have to face Carlos Alcaraz in a duel where it’s not just about taking the number 1 spot in the ATP rankings .

In view of this duel, and after beating the Russian Karen Kachanov 7-6(5), 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, the Norwegian spoke with the program “El Set” of ESPN, where he was able to share with the Argentinian Juan Martín del Potro, who fulfills commercial commitments in the United States.

In the dialogue, the way he hits the ball with his right arm was compared to what the Argentine did in his prime years. “They are similar rights, but I have more topspin than Juan Martín “, underlined the Scandinavian.

Then, he revealed that in the middle of his training, his father invited him to follow the technique of another tennis player from the continent.He always told me when I was a kid that I had to watch another South American, not Argentinian. Fernando González, one of the best rights in history. When I hit him with the right, my father said to me: ‘Come on, González junior’ ”.

After his duel against Kachanov, Ruud said: “This game was another good game for me. I think we were both nervous at first, with a few breakups. But you have to keep in mind that it was probably the biggest game of our career. Of course, there may be nerves. But I was lucky to win that first set, it allowed me to calm my nerves”.

“I played phenomenally in the second set and Karen upped her game in the third. It was a home and away game like any five-set clash, but I’m very happy. After Roland Garros, I was extremely happy, but I was humbled enough to think that this could be the only Grand Slam final of my career. But here I am a few months later “, he added.

For his part, his coach, the Spaniard Pedro Clar, spoke of his chances of winning the title this Sunday. “The whole team is happy to get another Grand Slam final. At the start of the year it was something that was not in our plans. After playing in Paris and now he’s in another Grand Slam final, and the fact that it’s on a hard court gives him a lot more value “, he said on the ATP Tour page.

“Sunday will be an exciting match, both played at a very good level and victory, as you know, will bring a double prize . Maybe the fact that Casper made the final in Paris this year can somehow help him deal with the situation better and manage his emotions better, but without a doubt I think he will have to be at its highest level to be able to achieve victory”, advancement.

“Casper ha ido de menos a más en este US Open, siempre las primeras rondas son difíciles de jugar, hay algo más de presión por querer hacerlo bien en el torneo, pero cada partido ha ido jugando better y subendo su nivel de juego hasta llegar a final “, he concluded.