Gstaad 2022: For the 1st time since 2010 Toronto, all 4 semifinalists are former champions at the tournament

Bhargav
All four former Gstaad champions have made the semifinals.
All four former Gstaad champions have made the semifinals.

Matteo Berrettini, Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Casper Ruud and Dominic Thiem reached the Gstaad Open semifinals. That marked the first time in more than a decade that a tournament will have an all-former-winner semifinal lineup.

Defending champion Casper Ruud made it to the last four by beating Jaume Munar in two tiebreaks to set up a semifinal clash with 2019 winner Albert Ramos-Vinolas. The Spaniard saved a match point to down Nicolas Jarry in a third-set tiebreak.

Meanwhile, Berrettini saw off Pedro Martinez to reach the last four at the ATP 250 event after missing Wimbledon due to contracting COVID-19. The 2018 winner will take on another former winner, Dominic Thiem (2015). The Austrian reached his first semifinal of the season by beating Juan Pablo Varillas.

The semifinal lineup marks the first time since Toronto in 2010 that all four semifinalists are former winners of the tournament. That year, defending champion Andy Murray beat two-time winner (2005 and 2008) Rafael Nadal. In the other semifinal, two-time winner (2004, 2006) Roger Federer downed 2007 winner Novak Djokovic.

In the final, Murray beat Federer in straight sets to win his second Rogers Cup title.


Casper Ruud looking to become first player in nearly three decades to go back-to-back in Gstaad

Casper Ruud on Day One: The Championships - Wimbledon 2022
Casper Ruud on Day One: The Championships - Wimbledon 2022

Casper Ruud has had a fabulous 2022 campaign, winning 33 of his 47 matches and bagging two titles. The World No. 5 also reached his maiden Grand Slam final at Roland Garros, where he went down to 14-time champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets.

After three losses in his next four matches, Ruud is back on the winning trail, registering back-to-back victories in nearly two months to reach the semifinals in Gstaad. He'll now take on Matteo Berrettini in the final of the tournament.

The defending champion trailed Ramos Vinolas 3-2 overall and 3-1 on clay, but destroyed the Spaniard 6-2, 6-0 in the last four at Gstaad. The Norwegian will seek to become the first player in 28 years to go back-to-back at the Swiss event.

Since Sergi Bruguera did a three-peat in 1994, no player has successfully defended their title in the 107-year-old tournament. Roger Federer is the last player in the last two decades to reach consecutive Gstaad finals (lost in 2003, won in 2004).