"I prayed, just one time let it be a double fault" - Casper Ruud jokes about anticlimactic ending to Novak Djokovic clash at Monte Carlo

Casper Ruud revealed he wished that Novak Djokovic would double fault at match point during his semifinal encounter against the Serb at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters.

Ruud stunned the World No. 1 to reach the final and also made history along the way. He defeated Djokovic for the first time in his career. Ruud also became the first man from Norway to defeat a reigning World No. 1.

The Norwegian gained the upper hand over Djokovic by winning the first set 6-4. However, the World No. 1 won the second set 6-1 to keep the match alive. Ruud got an early break in the deciding set leading 4-1 but the Serb fought back and broke to level the set at 4-4.

At 4-5, the World No. 1 found himself 0-40 down. He saved two match points but double-faulted to end the match in an anti-climatic way.

In the on-court interview, the Norwegian revealed that he wished for Djokovic to double fault while acknowledging the Serb's prowess at heroically saving match points.

“ When he missed the first serve [at 30/40], he saved so many break points in crazy ways, with huge second serve. I prayed one time, let it be a double fault and something above listened and of course it was unfortunate to end the match with a double fault but for me it was nice to see that ball sail long,” Casper Ruud said in the on-court interview.

Casper Ruud will face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters.

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Novak Djokovic: "I have dedicated more than 15 years, a lot of attention to taking care of my body and my mind"

Novak Djokovic at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters

Novak Djokovic's start to the season has been less than ideal according to the Serb's own standards but he has still managed to reach semifinals at two of the three tournaments he has played.

In a press conference at the Monte-Carlo Masters, he credited his longevity to him taking care of his body and mind.

"All I can say is that I have dedicated more than 15 years, a lot of attention to taking care of my body and my mind and it's paying off. Still, at almost 37 years of age, I'm able to be No. 1 in the world and play at the highest level," he said in the press conference.

He also praised his team for helping him maintain his fitness while mentioning that he was grateful to have realized the importance of good fitness early on in his career.

"So that's a kind of a benefit of really the care that I have put in myself primarily but also with my team for 15, 20 years. I'm very grateful that I have managed to realize the importance of that quite early in my career," he added.