The semifinal in the top half of the draw, between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz may have captured the majority of the attention, but this promises to be an entertaining battle in its own right between two men with a fine record at Roland Garros. As always, we here at LWOT are offering our prediction for the matc, but will it be Casper Ruud or Alexander Zverev who books their spot in the French Open final?
French Open Semifinal Prediction
Casper Ruud vs Alexander Zverev
Jim: Come into the French Open, Ruud looked short of a gallop, but he has played some impressive tennis so far in Paris. There have been some challenging moments, but he has handled them well and his victory over Holger Rune will surely have given him some confidence, even if the Dane was clearly not at his best. This might be a challenging matchup for him, however. Zverev typically enjoys rhythm and in the baseline exchanges, it will be hard for Ruud to outmuscle the big German. Zverev will have to keep his composure, but if he does (and it is an if) he should have enough.
Prediction: Zverev in 5
Damian: Can either of them trouble Carlos Alcaraz or Novak Djokovic? It’s unlikely, which in turn also makes this semifinal less exciting. But who has a better shot at winning it? Zverev still isn’t quite in his 2022 form, but defending the semifinal points is absolutely massive for him. Ruud sort of quietly made his way into another final four of a Major and deserves a lot of praise for his consistency. He might as well make a third final across the five last Slams, but I always like going with the player with the higher upside.
Prediction: Zverev in 5
[cta id=591 type=cta] (FanDuel)
Yesh: I have consistently underestimated Zverev, but his big serve and game keep getting him out of trouble. Still, I think this is where the magic ends. Ruud is just too consistent from everywhere and too good on a clay court. He’ll get enough returns back in play, and once rallies get long enough Zverev will be at a real disadvantage.
Prediction: Ruud in 4
Jack: Zverev may have impressed to get to the semifinals for a second straight year but we haven’t actually learnt anything new. The German has had a relatively easy route to the semifinals and remains 0-6 on the year against top 10 opponents. Ruud on the other hand has ripped up expectations given his form and is producing a base-level that many are struggling to keep up with. Channelling his 2022 form, it will take some serious aggression to knock the Norwegian off his stride—a brand of aggression that Zverev frankly hasn’t shown us this year.
Prediction: Ruud in 4
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
