Casper Ruud reaches Paris Masters semifinals

Casper Ruud defeated Nuno Borges 7-6 (5), 6-4 on Friday to reach his 11th Masters 1000 semifinal. The victory in Paris sets up a semifinal clash with second seed Carlos Alcaraz. Borges had entered the main draw as a lucky loser, the first to ever reach the quarterfinals at this tournament. Ruud needed one hour and 34 minutes to secure the straight-sets win, avenging a loss to the Portuguese player just one week earlier in Basel.

Ruud's dominant performance

Ruud's path to the last four was built on solid serving. In his previous round, a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Jan-Lennard Struff, he held all nine of his service games. He converted his only break point opportunity in that match and saved both break points he faced at a key 2-3 juncture in the second set. This form continued against Borges, who had held all 25 of his service games in the main draw before their quarterfinal. Ruud broke him once.

Ruud's ranking and season context

The win boosts Ruud to No. 18 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. This marks his second semifinal of the 2024 season and his third on a hard court at the Masters 1000 level. He opened his Paris campaign with efficient wins over Juan Manuel Cerundolo and Rafael Jodar. His record against Borges is now level at two wins apiece, with their last three meetings all requiring three sets.

Alcaraz's path to the final

Carlos Alcaraz booked his semifinal spot with a comeback victory over Taylor Fritz. The second seed won 6-7 (10), 7-5, 6-3. Alcaraz had received a walkover in the Round of 16 after Matteo Berrettini withdrew. He holds a commanding 6-1 lead in his head-to-head record against Ruud. Their only previous meeting this year was a Ruud victory at the ATP Finals. Alcaraz has been in strong form since returning from a four-month absence, compiling a 17-2 record with titles in Tokyo and Vienna.

Semifinal showdown

The stage is now set for a high-stakes semifinal. Ruud will look to replicate his ATP Finals success against the world number two. Alcaraz, who has never progressed beyond the quarterfinals in Paris before, will be the favorite. Casper Ruud said: "A week after losing to the Portuguese in Basel, the Norwegian took his revenge by converting his only break point of the match." Their upcoming clash promises to be a decisive battle for a place in the Paris final.