Marin Cilic and Casper Ruud reach French Open semi-finals for the first time

Casper Ruud moved into the French Open semi-finals for the first time on Wednesday courtesy of two big-hitting displays which overwhelmed their opponents. Cilic fired 33 aces and 88 winners past seventh-seeded Andrey Rublev in a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (10/2) win. Eighth seed Ruud booked a clash against the 33-year-old Croat when he became the first Norwegian man to reach a Grand Slam semi-final with a 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 victory over Danish teenager Holger Rune. Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion, needed four hours and 10 minutes to defeat Rublev who has now lost all of his five quarter-final appearances at the Slams. The 20th seeded Cilic becomes only the fifth active men's player after Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray to make the semi-finals at all four majors.

"The fifth set was an incredible battle," said Cilic who is in his first Grand Slam semi-final in four years. "Andrey played so well. Today was my day. He just didn't have the luck." Rublev grabbed the first set but wilted under a Cilic barrage over the next two. The Croat had stunned world number two Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round and he rediscovered that free-swinging assault to level the contest with a 17th ace on a fifth set point. He pocketed the third with a lone break in the seventh game. Rublev, who had lost to Cilic at the Australian Open in January, battled back with a crucial break in the eighth game of the fourth set.

Cilic, the 2017 Wimbledon and 2018 Australian Open runner-up to Federer, had a match point saved in the ninth game of the decider but swept through the super tiebreaker. "He was serving very well," said Rublev. "I relaxed after the first set but then I wasn't thinking. I could not manage the