Former finalist Casper Ruud said he has room for improvement after reaching the second week of the French Open after a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 fightback win on Saturday over Zhang Zhizhen.
The 2022 runner-up to Rafael Nadal had to turn the tide over more than two and a half hours on court in Paris as he beat the first Chinese man to reach the third round here since 1937.
Ruud improved to 14-5 on clay this season but says his game needs some final polish.
“The level is getting better but I still don’t feel like I’m playing error-free.
“There are things I can improve; I can make less errors than I’ve done in some moments in my matches.
“There is a level that I haven’t played yet and that I can bring out.
“I will need to bring it out now going into the second week, for sure. I’m very happy with being through.”
Monte Carlo and Rome finalist Holger Rune bounced back into form after a bye in the second round in a 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 demolition of Argentine qualifier Genaro Alberto Olivieri.
The sixth-seeded Dane advanced in two hours with his 36 winners more than doubling his opponent’s output. His previous match with Gael Monfils was never played as the Frenchman retired injured the day before.
The No. 231-Olivieri was the lowest-ranked player to reach the third round this year and was playing his career-first main draw.
Rune said he came to the court ready to make up for lost time.
“I see it (his walkover) as a good thing because I got to rest my body fully and got a few more practice days to adjust to things I wanted to do better.
“Today I think I played better than the first match, so I’m happy.
“I feel like I was ready to go, prepared, I was still in the match mode.”
The Dane said that when he was informed that his opponent would not be playing, he went to the practice court and worked for two hours and a half hours to get the feel of having played a match.
“Luckily I haven’t used too much unnecessary energy during the tournament so far,” he said.
“I still think I can play better, which is good. I’m in the fourth round and I can
play better.
“But obviously the matches are going to get harder and harder from now so
I have to step up also.”
Croat 15th seed Borna Coric was eliminated by Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-2.
A second Argentine player, Francisco Cerundolo, stunned ninth seed Taylor Fritz, dismissing the American 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.
Nicolas Jarry defeated Marcos Giron of the US 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-3.
Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka brought a 3-6, 7-6 (8), 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 end to the run of controversial qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild.
The Brazilian, facing charges of domestic abuse at home, refused this week to answer questions about his legal status, emerging as the villain of the event,
