Marin Cilic, Casper Ruud enter French Open semifinals for the first time

• Marin Cilic and Casper Ruud reach the semifinals of the French Open.
• The 33-year-old Croat defeated Andrey Rublev and Holger Rune respectively. 
• Rafael Nadal will face Alexander Zverev in the second semifinal on Friday.

Marin Cilic and Casper Ruud advanced to the semifinals of the French Open for the first time as a result of two dominating performances of power striking against their opponents.

Cilic defeated seventh-seeded Andrey Rublev with 33 aces and 88 winners in a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (10/2) victory.

Norwegian eighth seed  Ruud will face the 33-year-old Croat after defeating the Danish teen Holger Rune 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 to go to the Grand Slam semifinals for the first time in his country’s history.

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Four hours and ten minutes were enough for Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion, to defeat Rublev, who has now lost all five of his Grand Slam quarterfinal attempts.

Cilic is the fifth active player in the men’s singles category after Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray to reach the semifinals at all four Grand Slams.

“The fifth set was an incredible battle,” said Cilic who is in his first Grand Slam semi-final in four years.

“Andrey played so well. Today was my day. He just didn’t have the luck.”

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Rublev won the opening set but crumbled under Cilic’s assault in the next two.

The Croat had upset world number two, Daniil Medvedev, in the fourth round, and he regained his free-swinging attack to tie the match on the fifth set point with his 17th ace.

In the seventh game, he pocketed the third with a break of his own.

Rublev, who had lost to Cilic at the Australian Open in January, fought back in the eighth game of the fourth set with a vital break.

Cilic, the runner-up to Federer at Wimbledon in 2017 and the Australian Open in 2018, saved a match point in the ninth game of the deciding set but swept through the super tiebreaker.

‘Serving very well’

“He was serving very well,” said Rublev.

“I relaxed after the first set but then I wasn’t thinking.

“I could not manage the emotions in the previous quarter-finals. Today I was close to the semi-final.”

The 40th-ranked Rune defeated the fourth seed and runner-up of the 2021 tournament, Stefanos Tsitsipas, in the fourth round.

The 19-year-old was attempting to become the first Danish player to reach the quarterfinals in Paris and the first at any Grand Slam since Jan Leschly in 1967 at the US Championships.

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However, Ruud defeated the youngster by blazing 13 aces and 55 winners, while Rune was forced to defend against 12 of 17 break points created by the Norwegian.

“I started the match well, but Holger raised his level of play, he came back and it was tough until the end,” said Ruud after beating the Dane for the fourth time in four meetings.

“I had met him three times and he is improving. He has become unpredictable, he isn’t afraid of anything and will be dangerous for the next few years,” added Ruud who had never passed the round of 16 in a Grand Slam before this French Open.

After his thrilling quarterfinal win against Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal will face Alexander Zverev in the second semifinal on Friday.

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