Novak Djokovic vs Casper Ruud Highlights, Monte Carlo Masters 2024: Casper Ruud upsets World No. 1 for career's biggest win

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Novak Djokovic could add another achievement to his illustrious career if he wins his first Rolex Monte Carlo Masters since 2015. The Serbian has dominated the Monte Carlo Masters 2024 so far. As the World No. 1, he is playing in his 77th ATP Masters 1000 semifinal, which is a record since the series’ inception in 1990.

After his loss in Melbourne to Jannik Sinner, Djokovic is now just two victories away from completing his third sweep of all nine ATP Masters 1000 titles. The top seed is targeting his 41st ATP 1000 title after a tightly contested match against Alex de Minaur.

Casper Ruud is one of two Scandinavians who reached the quarterfinals in Monaco, and he is the only one left in contention since Holger Rune was defeated by Djokovic. Ruud, seeking his first ATP Masters 1000 title, secured his semifinal berth with consecutive victories over two top 15 players.

Initially, the Norwegian ousted the 10th seed, Hubert Hurkacz, and then defeated the 14th seed, Ugo Humbert, in the following round. Winning the title would make Ruud the first Scandinavian to claim the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters.

Novak Djokovic vs Casper Ruud – Preview

While not at his best against Alex de Minaur, Serbian World No. 1 and two-time champion Novak Djokovic secured a 7-5, 6-4 victory. His two-hour triumph over de Minaur reversed their encounter at the 2024 United Cup, improving his head-to-head record to 2-1.

On an erratic Friday at Court Rainier III, Djokovic committed 18 unforced errors while managing only 12 winners. Remarkably, ten of those errors occurred in the first set. The top seed needed four service breaks and overcame a late rally by de Minaur, who broke Djokovic’s serve three times in the second set, to clinch the match.

Casper Ruud also faced a tough challenge from Frenchman Ugo Humbert. Ruud advanced to the semifinals of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters on Friday. The Norwegian started swiftly, capturing the first set in just 35 minutes, but stumbled in the second. The eighth seed regained his composure in the decider, playing flawlessly to halt Humbert’s run in Monte Carlo with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 win.

Head-to-head records

Matches – 5

Novak Djokovic – 5

Casper Ruud – 0

Novak Djokovic’s domination of Casper Ruud, a man a decade younger, has been total – as seen by the 5-0 head-to-head in favor of the World No. 1. Djokovic and Ruud have met on five occasions – beginning with the ATP Masters Rome in 2020 to Roland Garros in 2023. Djokovic took every one of those contests in straight sets. 

Prediction

En route to his first semifinal appearance since 2015, Novak Djokovic was tested by Lorenzo Musetti and Alex de Minaur. The Serbian has dropped 18 games in matches against Musetti and de Minaur, following an effortless victory over Roman Safiullin.

Djokovic’s 5-0 head-to-head advantage over Ruud is anticipated to increase to 6-0 by Saturday evening. The 25-year-old Ruud has not yet won a set against the 24-time Grand Slam champion and must employ all his skills against Djokovic to stand a chance of reaching the final.

Djokovic excels under pressure, and aside from his 8-3 win-loss record this season, he holds a 4-2 (66%) record in tiebreaks. Ruud has a 6-5 record in tiebreaks, translating to a 54% winning percentage. Ruud’s performance is commendable, having reached two finals this year, while Djokovic has not been as fortunate.

The career winning percentages after securing the first set are closely matched: 96% for Djokovic and 91% for Ruud. However, Djokovic has a superior record of bouncing back after losing the first set, with a success rate of 45% compared to Ruud’s 25%.

Result: Novak Djokovic to win in straight sets.

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