New York. Ah, a sick disappointment…
Norwegian tennis champion Casper Rudd also put in a lot of effort in the insanely entertaining US Open final, but in the end he had to give in to young Spanish bull Carlos Alcaraz.
– Of course I’m disappointed that I couldn’t win, but it’s very good to be the second in the world too, says the 23-year-old from Oslo.
The 23-year-old Norwegian opened his first US Open final with a serve and became New York’s new folk champion in the two weeks the popular tournament was held at Flushing Meadows.
Then the fun was over, I was about to say.
But this description would be very unfair. Casper already lost the first set 6-4 and then seemed to have problems with the Spanish opponent Carlos Alcaraz serve.
But in the second he fought back and won 6-2 – after some amazing football duels, easily among the most exciting fights at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
I got weathered – I couldn’t stop
Even in the third set, he managed to press the brilliant opponent in several sequences, but could not resist in the tiebreak – it is possible that the chance for the final victory was missed.
Because when he got real winds in the fourth set, the 19-year-old prodigy from Murcia in southeast Spain couldn’t be stopped. He served as an angry bull thrower and eventually swept the match and championship.
He is the youngest player to ever win the US Open – and the new world number one.
“It’s something I’ve dreamed of ever since I learned to walk and I’m so happy now,” he said, with tears in his eyes, before John McEnroe himself handed over the iconic trophy.
Historic rod despite the loss
But Casper Rudd wouldn’t leave New York without luck either. He is, as the first Norwegian of all time, number two on the New World after his 14-day run.
– Of course I’m disappointed that I lost this final, but being second in the world isn’t that stupid either, he smiled as the smoke of gunpowder settled in Queens.
No, it is preferable that you are only 23 years old. It looks like the son of Oslo and the Spanish champion took over the tennis world last night and will feature in many of the major finals of the next decade.
Casper can also be happy that ardent fans in New York fell in love with him, celebrating him several times during the night with new rhymes “Ruuuuuuud”.
He did not become less popular when, like another Mats Wellander in Paris in 1982, he voluntarily returned an erroneously awarded point in the second set of the final – or when, during the court interview afterwards, he called the USA “this beautiful country” and think of all who They lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks exactly 21 years ago.
This city will never forget that.
