Tsitsipas trionfa su Ruud a Montecarlo

Stefanos Tsitsipas puts on an almost flawless performance to defeat Casper Ruud 6-1 6-4 in an hour and thirty-six minutes, leveling their head-to-head record at 2-2 and most importantly, capturing his third “1000” title, all at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. Tsitsipas now joins the likes of Nadal, Borg, Muster, and Nastase as one of the few players who have won the Monte Carlo tournament at least three times (Rafa 11, Bjorn, Thomas, and Ilie 3 each).

Precise and deadly with his forehand, Tsitsipas had no trouble handling Ruud’s backhand shots, smartly approaching the net, especially behind his second serve in crucial scoring situations, and saving all eight break points conceded. Few first serves in play (48%), but an excellent second serve conversion rate (68%) for Stef who, after a first-round defeat in Miami, clearly made good use of his time to prepare for the surface where he is most successful.

On the other hand, Ruud played the match he set out to play, hitting a large number of forehands, a crucial shot that just didn’t click consistently enough against this opponent. With 10 “250” titles to his name and several luxury finals (three Slams, ATP Finals, Miami), the former world number 2’s trophy case still lacks the space for his first major title.

First Set – Tsitsipas in control, Ruud struggling

As referee Damien Dumusois delivers his speech, we are reminded that Casper and Stefanos are the two players with the most wins on clay since 2020, with records of 98-27 and 73-17, respectively. It’s worth noting that you don’t have to be a top player to be among the top 5, as illustrated by Ramos-Viñolas’ presence between Alcaraz and Djokovic. However, it is evident that the return to clay court has greatly benefitted the two Sunday contenders from Monaco.

Tsitsipas, who hasn’t been at this level for quite some time, faced Ruud, who had a respectable start to the season on hard courts by defeating the world number 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinal, and the pair headed into the match having each served a double fault. Surprisingly, the two most successful clay-court players did not face off in the final. Ruud chose to serve.

Both players like to move around the ball to hit their forehands from the left corner – with Ruud’s more grounded technique and Tsitsipas’ season-spanning approach. Maintaining precision and aggression is key to taking control of the rallies, and the efficiency of the backhand down the line will be crucial. It is this particular shot that sets up an early break for Tsitsipas, who converts on his third opportunity after a soft inside-in shot, taking a 2-1 lead.

Stefan manages to complicate matters for himself by missing easy forehands and smashes, each error offering Ruud a chance to break back, but Ruud fails to respond – a crucial net mistake on a second serve. Despite a few slip-ups, the 25-year-old from Athens does a little bit more and most importantly does it well – showing great clarity and a good feel for the ball. In contrast, his Oslo counterpart does not seem at all centered, missing an easy forehand after a nice two-hander down the line and botching another from a favorable position, allowing Tsitsipas to serve at 4-1.

Casper unleashes another of those backhands displayed in the semifinal against Djokovic and takes advantage of a poorly executed Greek volley to create some mild resistance, though it’s few and far between (possibly less). Tsitsipas dominates the first set 6-1 with a double fault after 36 minutes.

Ten winners each, six unforced errors for Tsitsipas, and twice as many for Ruud who wins all the rallies of over eight shots – though there was only one. Worth noting is the bounce shot count: 32 forehands and 7 backhands hit by Ruud, while the balance was 18-27 for Stefanos.

Second Set – Chances for a resurgent Ruud, but Tsitsipas remains superior

Casper asks for more from his backhand down the line, twice Stefan saves the deficit from the left with a serve-and-volley on the second serve, while Ruud unfortunately thinks about the break point and misses the forehand on a rally. In the stands, Andrea Gaudenzi jokes with French tennis federation president Gilles Moretton as the two on the court reach 2-2. Tsitsipas shifts the momentum of the rallies, and it’s up to the Scandinavian to save the eternal advantage with a less than simple serve-and-half-volley.

There is enjoyable tennis being played, and the balanced score adds interest. Tsitsipas tries to ramp up the excitement, stumbling in a game that seemed closed where Ruud infiltrates in an upward trajectory, but fails to capitalize on any of the three external advantages.

Serving at 4-5, Casper starts with an errant forehand followed by an unforced backhand error, before regaining focus to recover from 0-30 and closing at the net. However, another double-handed mistake sends Stefanos to match point: a nail-biting rally with a Ruud advantage overturned by Tsitsipas’ inside-in shot, securing the trophy with his 19th forehand winner.

Ranked number 12, Stefanos will jump to number 7 on Monday, while Casper will climb two places to sixth.