Ruud survives five-set epic at French Open, Shelton also advances as Wawrinka bows out

Casper Ruud survived a brutal five-set rollercoaster against Roman Safiullin at Roland Garros to prevail 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 0-6, 6-2 after a match that oscillated wildly between dominance, collapse and recovery. The Norwegian looked firmly in control with a two-set lead and five match points before physical problems and a sudden shift in momentum nearly ended his campaign in Paris.

French Open: Highlights

The victory came in punishing conditions at Roland Garros, where high temperatures and heavy clay have already produced several matches defined by both endurance and shooting.

Ruud admitted how close he came to defeat after losing control of the match in the middle stages.

“Honestly, a bit of everything. Tired, but of course happy. I feel humbled. I want to thank the crowd for pushing me,” said Ruud after the match. “I was close to going home, honestly. At the end of the 3rd and 4th set, I felt pretty awful and dizzy. It was really hard to see the ball.”

He extended his physical breakdown that nearly forced him out of the match. “I think my body temperature was too high, I wasn’t able to cool it down with the temperature here today. Fortunately, I was able to take a little breather in the 4th set to see if I could calm down and let the cramps and the high temperature subside. Fortunately, I did. It was a really tough match,” he added.

Ruud was cruising at 6-2, 7-6, 5-2 with five match points in hand, but Safiullin made a remarkable escape, saving them all and turning the tide completely. The Russian won the third set 7-5 before storming through a one-sided fourth set 6-0 as Ruud visibly struggled with cramps, dizziness and heat stress, even requiring medical attention during the set. At that point, Ruud lost 11 of 12 games before regrouping and deciding where he soon settled and reasserted control to close out the match.

SHELTON, ANISIM’S ADVANCE; WAWRINKA WAVES GOODBYE

Elsewhere in the draw, Amanda Anisimova made a big return to Grand Slam action with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Daria Rakotomanga, returning to competition after a wrist injury that sidelined her entire clay court swing.

Ben Shelton also advanced comfortably, beating Daniel Merida 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 to continue his solid Slam record despite mixed recent form on clay.

Meanwhile, Stan Wawrinka made an emotional bow after his first-round defeat to Jesper de Jong, bringing the curtain down on his final appearance at Roland Garros as the 41-year-old Swiss great bid a warm farewell to the Paris crowd.

– The end

Published on:

May 26, 2026 0:56 AM IST

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