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French Open Day 13: Rafael Nadal to take on Casper Ruud in final after eventful day

Chris Cwik
Staff writer
·3 min read
159

The women punched their tickets to the French Open final Thursday. Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff will square off Saturday. Swiatek's 34-match streak is on the line, while Gauff is looking to pick up a win in her first Grand Slam final.

On Friday, the men's final will be determined. Rafael Nadal will take on Alexander Zverev in the first match of the day and Casper Ruud and Marin Cilic will square off in the second match. Who will advance to the final on the men's side? Read along to find out.

Rafael Nadal advances after Alexander Zverev's injury

Friday's first match looked like it would last the entire day. Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev appeared evenly matched through the first set, with Nadal narrowly winning 7-6.

That continued in the second set. Both players went back and forth, trading games until it was 6-6. The match had already hit the three-hour mark, and the second set was still going.

That's when disaster struck for Zverev. While attempting to return a ball, Zverev rolled his ankle. He immediately fell to the court in pain.

Zverev left the court in a wheelchair to be examined. The match was suspended during Zverev's examination. Eventually, he returned to the court on crutches.

Zverev was unable to continue, prematurely ending a fantastic match. He received a standing ovation from the crowd.

Nadal and Zverev hugged on the court after the match. Nadal called Zverev's injury "a very tough moment" while addressing the crowd after the match.

With Zverev's exit, Nadal will move on to the final, which will be played Sunday. It marks the 14th time Nadal will play for the French Open title.

Alexander Zverev of Germany at the French Open.
Alexander Zverev rolled his ankle and couldn't continue, paving the way for Rafael Nadal to advance to the French Open final. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Casper Ruud overcomes match stoppage to defeat Marin Cilic

Casper Ruud did not start strong, but rallied to defeat Marin Cilic in the French Open semifinal. With the win, Ruud will face Rafael Nadal in the final, which will take place Sunday.

It was Cilic who jumped out to the early lead, beating Ruud in the first set 6-3. Ruud rebounded nicely in the second set, evening the match with a 6-4 win. Ruud jumped out to another early lead in the third set before a protestor ran out onto the court.

Play was briefly suspended after a protestor chained herself to the net. Officials removed the woman from the court and play continued after a brief delay.

The break did not disrupt Ruud's focus. He took the third set 6-2. Ruud then finished off Cilic in the fourth set, again winning 6-2.

The win pushes Ruud in the final, where he'll take on veteran, and 13-time French Open finalist, Rafael Nadal. The match will mark Ruud's first appearance in the final at the French Open. The two will face off Sunday.

Norway's Casper Ruud reacts after winning the French Open semifinal.