By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday June 4, 2024
Paris – Casper Ruud is aware of an ideal deal concerning the character and skills of Novak Djokovic, and due to that the Norwegian won’t ever underestimate the restoration powers of his quarterfinal opponent.
The 2-time Roland-Garros finalist says he is not going to overthink Djokovic’s present damage standing, or the truth that the 24-time main champion has wanted over 9 hours to get via his final two rounds in Paris after they meet within the quarterfinals in what will likely be a rematch of final 12 months’s ultimate in Paris.
“I do not anticipate him to give up in any respect. I’ve to anticipate him to be recent, prepared and that it is going to be a troublesome match,” Ruud stated on Monday after taking out American Taylor Fritz in 4 units.
“I am simply going to anticipate him to be recent, prepared in two days. Not assume an excessive amount of if he performed 9 hours, 12 hours, or 4 hours within the final couple of days. , Novak is Novak. He will be prepared it doesn’t matter what, or at the very least he’ll do his finest to be prepared. Usually he does it rather well.”
Ruud says he’ll attempt to use the present state of affairs to spice up his perception, nonetheless.
“I’ll attempt to assume that I am 25; he is 37. Possibly doesn’t suggest an excessive amount of as a result of he is nonetheless in bodily nice form, however he is performed just a few hours greater than me on the best way right here, and hopefully my matches main as much as it has not been so long as his and I’ll attempt if there’s any chance to make the most of that.”
Novak Second Finest Clay Courter of All-Time?
Ruud says that Djokovic’s clay-court prowess can’t be underestimated.
“You possibly can undoubtedly argue that he is the second-best clay courtroom participant of all time,” he stated. “I imply, clearly Borg has extra titles right here than him, however Novak was all the time shut, he all the time just about reached the ultimate and ended up dropping to Rafa. And I misplaced to him final 12 months within the ultimate.”
The seventh-seeded Norwegian, who leads all ATP gamers in wins on clay because the begin of 2020, says that Djokovic has all of the instruments to make a well-rounded, unstoppable clay-court participant.
“I feel that he reads the sport unbelievably effectively. He is aware of how you can use a dropshot effectively. Clearly he strikes nice. So it is powerful to hit winners on him.”
And don’t underestimate the Serbian’s physicality, stamina and sturdiness, Ruud says.
“Bodily he is there. He is robust. He by no means breaks down in a method. You are feeling generally that he’ll, however he by no means does. I feel he is proven that the final two matches enjoying over 4 hours and searching form of down and out however coming again.
“I did not see a lot of what occurred as we speak, however I heard that he was down and even down a break within the fourth and got here again from there. So he rises to the problem every time he must.
I imply, he has all of the photographs. I imply, he would not play as heavy possibly as Rafa and the acute topspin, however he would not must. He has different qualities which are nearly simply pretty much as good.”
