French Open 2023: Alexander Zverev sets up blockbuster semis clash with Casper Ruud

Alexander Zverev made an emotional return to the French Open semi-finals on Wednesday, one year after a horror ankle injury that sent his career into a tailspin, as Iga Swiatek set up a last-four clash with Brazilian trailblazer Beatriz Haddad Maia.

German world number 27 Zverev claimed a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina and will face Casper Ruud, the 2022 runner-up, for a place in Sunday's final. It will be Zverev's sixth Grand Slam semi-final and will be played on the same Philippe Chatrier Court where he suffered torn ankle ligaments against Rafael Nadal 12 months ago.

Ranked at three in the world at the time, the sobbing, screaming Zverev was taken off court in a wheelchair and was out of action until January this year.

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"That was the most difficult year of my life," said 26-year-old Zverev. "I love playing tennis and the sport and competition were taken away from me. I am so happy to be back on this stage and happy to be able to have another chance to play for a place in the final."

On Wednesday, Olympic champion and 2020 US Open runner-up Zverev broke in the seventh game of the first set and saved two break points in the eighth before going on to pocket the opener.

Etcheverry, ranked 49 and in the quarter-final at the majors for the first time, levelled the tie and was quickly 2-0 up in the third set.

But Zverev reeled off five games in a row before clinching the third set and then grabbed the key break to edge ahead 4-3 in the fourth.

Rudd reaches last four

Casper Ruud will play Alexander Zverev in the French Open semi-finals after the Norwegian fourth seed beat Denmark's Holger Rune 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 on Wednesday.

Ruud, who lost last year's Roland Garros final to Rafael Nadal, defeated sixth-ranked Rune for the fifth time in six matches and avenged his loss in the semi-finals at Rome in May.

"I kind of looked at it as though he was the favourite — he won the last time we played and he's had a better year than me so far," said Ruud. "I was feeling like the underdog even though I was seeded number four and he was seeded number six."

Ruud fended off two break points in the opening game of the match and then consistently put pressure on Rune's serve, breaking him twice in a lopsided first set. He dominated the second in similar fashion before Rune threatened a comeback as he forced a fourth set.

But Ruud surged 4-1 ahead and eventually put Rune away on his fifth match point as there was no repeat of the bad blood from last year's quarter-final.

"Luckily for me, the first two sets, he wasn't probably feeling it too well, he made a lot of errors and I got a lot of points for free," said Ruud.

"That helped settle the nerves but he fought back and third set he came out playing better. Then in the fourth set I was lucky to get that one break and keep it all the way out."

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