Article by Luminița Paul – Published on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, 22:48 / Updated on Wednesday, 13 May 2026 22:49
Casper Ruud (27, world number 25) will contest his fourth semi-final at the Masters 1000 in Rome, winning in the “quarters” against Karen Khachanov (29, number 15 ATP), 6-1, 1-6, 6-2, in a match interrupted by rain.
After 2020, 2022 and 2023the Norwegian Ruud is once again in the penultimate act of the Masters 1000 tournament in Rome. Having recently gone through a less than happy period on the circuit, he has started to find himself on the clay portion, his favorite surface.
It started in Madrid, and at the Foro Italico he raised the bar. He met the Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals, their fourth straight matchup on the circuit, and controlled the first set with authority. A true red carpet specialist, Casper has established himself with 6-1but at 0-1 in the second act the match was stopped due to heavy rain.
“It was a match with many twists and turns. What would a day be without a little drama? With many ups and downs“, he declared at the end for Ziggo Sport. This is because the interruption was a prolonged one, two hours and 25 minutes.
At the restart, Khachanov imposed his game, another quick set, 6-1, but in the decider Ruud regained his rhythm and closed with 6-2. “I'm glad I finished strong, and in the end that's what matters. We had a great start, it was quite difficult to be interrupted by the rain, because I felt that I had good momentum, I was playing very well and I was in a state of maximum concentration“, he explained to the same source.
Rain in Rome on the day of the Ruud-Khachanov match Photo: Guliver/GettyImages
Casper Ruud: “I felt like I played a five-set match”
“Then we stopped and you don't really know when you're going to come back, what to do, how much to eat, all these things we have to think about. These days are tough for us mentally because you have to stay focused for so long, and it almost felt like we played a five-set match, even though it was a pretty fast three sets. You are quite tired“, he emphasized, adding that he will focus on recovery.
On the scoreboard in Rome, the former world number 2 managed three victories against Top 20 opponents, Jiri Lehecka, Lorenzo Musetti and Karen Khachanovreason for optimism for the upcoming Roland Garros.
CASPER RUUD WITH THE TWEENER AGAINST KHACHANOV IN ROME.
Stealing the point in the most stylish way.
🇳🇴😎 pic.twitter.com/dCQpJu4j4f
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 13, 2026
“Yeah, maybe, we'll see,” he said cautiously. “Every match is important for me this year, it's been quite a tough one so far, but I'm really finding my rhythm, and luckily I have time for the clay,” Casper pointed out.
“At the same time, I would have liked to have done a bit better in Monte Carlo and Madrid, but now we are in Rome, the focus is here, the focus is on the next game on Friday, and after that comes Roland Garros, which is another big goal, so every match, every win I can get is great for my mood and confidence“, concluded the Norwegian.
He slipped outside the Top 20 at the start of the month for the first time since 2021 after failing to defend his title in Madrid, but is recovering quickly. The presence in the semi-finals in Rome propels him up to 20 in the ATP live ranking, and his next opponent will be the winner of the quarter-finals Rafael Jodar (Spain) – Luciano Darderi (Italy).
