CASPER RUUD BECAME the first Norwegian man to reach the US Open quarter-finals with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2 victory over French lucky loser Corentin Moutet.
The 23-year-old Ruud, seeded fifth, will face Italy’s Matteo Berrettini for a place in the semi-finals.
Moutet, the world number 112, had lost in qualifying before injury pull-outs opened up a slot in the main draw.
However, having knocked out 2016 champion Stan Wawrinka and 2021 quarter-finalist Botic de Zandschulp on his way to a maiden fourth round appearance at the majors, Moutet ran out of steam despite a gritty third set performance.
Playing on Arthur Ashe Stadium for the first time, Ruud fired 43 winners past his opponent as he made the last 16 of a Slam for the third time in 2022.
Earlier on Sunday, 13th seed Berrettini extended his impressive recent run of Grand Slam results with a 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 win over Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Although Berrettini missed this year’s French Open and Wimbledon through injury and illness, the Italian performed well at the four Grand Slams preceding those events.
He reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open earlier this year, and was also a quarter-finalist at the US Open last year.
Berrettini was the beaten finalist at Wimbledon in 2021 which came shortly after he reached the last eight at the French Open.
Davidovich Fokina dug deep to take the match to a fifth set but struggled in the decisive fifth set after wrenching his left knee as he stretched to make a return.
