Saturday, August 13, 2022. 11:14 PM
(Update : Saturday, August 13, 2022. 11:30 PM)
MONTREAL – Tennis matches are usually filled with important moments that can serve a player’s cause. Pole Hubert Hurkacz took advantage of two of these on Saturday.
Hurkacz scored two timely service breaks to come from behind and defeat Norway’s Casper Ruud 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, earning his ticket to the National Bank Open final.
Hurkacz, seeded eighth in Montreal, broke Ruud in the second game of the second set and the first game of the third set to build pace and slow his opponent’s.
The first big chance came as Ruud had just won 16 straight points on his serve and after he broke the Pole to take a 1-0 lead in the second set. Hurkacz gave himself two break points and he resumed this lost game following an unforced error by his vis-à-vis.
“Casper was playing really well and I thought I just had to hang in there. I was trying to find a way to get back into the game, explained Hurkacz, who got another break to win the second set. Casper was the better player for the first half of the game, but I wanted to stay competitive and look for chances by being incisive in the rallies. »
Then Hurkacz rocketed ahead in the third inning when he saw the ball hit the top of the net before landing Ruud’s side. The Pole may have apologized, the damage was done and his rival did not recover.
“Before I got that point, I had to get there and I think I had some good play readings and I was making the right decisions. I was gaining momentum. It was a lucky shot at an important time, but it happens sometimes. My combativeness paid off on that, ”analyzed Hurkacz.
With these two breaks, Hurkacz eliminated Ruud in just over two hours, winning his fourth consecutive game in three sets since the start of the week. He reached a first final this season at a Masters 1000 tournament.
Hurkacz, who is also set to make the doubles semi-final with compatriot Jan Zielinski, will now face Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.
Against Ruud, Hurkacz hit 18 aces to take his tally to 77, which is the highest among any player in the tournament.
Ruud (No. 4), who easily beat Quebec’s Félix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals on Friday, was the highest-ranked player still in contention for the title in Montreal. He was trying to reach the final of a Masters 1000 tournament for the second time this season, after losing in Miami.
“It’s frustrating to lose when you have the lead and feel like you’re in control,” Ruud said. Hubert had some really good returns to break me at the start of the second set. I made some stupid decisions and I have to take the blame for it. Hubert is a very good hard court player and it was surprising that I won the first set. I didn’t expect to be up 7-5, 1-0 after trailing 0-3 in the first set. He played at a level that I couldn’t maintain. »
Carreno Busta overcomes Evans
In a perhaps less expected semi-final at the bottom of the main draw, Carreno Busta beat Britain’s Daniel Evans in three sets 7-5, 6-7(7), 6-2.
For two hours and 59 minutes, the two players offered long exchanges to the supporters, but it was finally Carreno Busta who had the upper hand to advance to the final of a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time in his career.
“I was a little nervous at the start, but I think I played well,” said the Spaniard. Daniel is a very good opponent and it’s difficult to play against him. Tomorrow’s final will be the most important match of my career. It will be very good for me and for my confidence. »
Carreno Busta reaches a 1st Masters 1000 final
Evans, who is also scheduled to play the doubles semifinal on center court at IGA Stadium, spent about 3:40 p.m. on the court, if you include his doubles matches. During the week, he showed the exit door to Russian Andrey Rublev (no 5) and American Taylor Fritz (no 10).
Carreno Busta was the first to get a break in that match, taking a 4-3 lead after an unforced error from Evans, but he got the same round played while serving for the set, at 5 -4.
The Briton, however, gave this break to his opponent in the next game. On his second chance on serve for the set, Carreno Busta didn’t stumble.
Evans started the second set with aplomb, continuing to run for all the balls and landing some spectacular shots. He had nothing to do in the second game, however, when Carreno Busta double-faulted to give him the break and give him a 2-0 lead.
The Briton lacked the killer instinct at 4-2 and he was broken following a precise parallel backhand from Carreno Busta.
In the tiebreaker, Carreno Busta was given a match point, but Evans erased it and turned it into a set point. He forced a final set with a backhand volley at the net.
In the third set, Evans saved a break point as he trailed 2-1, but he was unable to save the second, allowing Carreno Busta to secure a 4- 2.
The Briton was broken one last time, in the eighth game, by committing a double fault which ended the game.
Hurkacz and Carreno Busta will meet in the final