(Casper Ruud-Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 6-2) Casper Ruud is set for the semi-finals of the Montreal tournament after showing off his game and sweeping home favorite Felix Auger-Aliassime off the pitch in 74 minutes.

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– I’ve played well from the first point in the first game, to the last point in today’s game, said the clear and certainly very happy Casper Ruud in an interview shown during the Discovery broadcast.

In the semifinals – his sixth in the ATP 1000 tournament – he met Hubert Hurkacz with a height of 196 centimeters (25). The Polish giants were seeded eighth in the tournament and beat Australia’s Nick Kyrgios (27) in the quarter-finals.

Casper Ruud (23) reached the quarter-finals of the ATP 1000 tournament in Montreal by beating Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut (34) 2-1 in sets on Thursday. The match took three hours and 18 minutes, with a stoppage due to rain – and included one Ruud/referee controversy in connection with toilet visits made by the former.

– I felt it in my legs and the intensity was hard to deal with, but luckily it was raining. “It gave me time to regain strength, so I can thank the weather god for giving me extra time and energy,” Ruud said after the game during the Discovery broadcast.

Against Felix Auger-Aliassime, he had to face the Canadian’s strong support from the stands, and not the wobbly Auger-Aliassime – who started fresh by breaking Ruud’s service game cleanly on main court. However, the Norwegian immediately hit back, at 14.30 local time. Then continued in the offensive mood, and took home her serve game with a smooth backhand. 2-1 to 3-1 in Ruud’s favor after 22 minutes of play.

– It was one of those days when everything went according to one player’s wishes, and today it went according to mine, Ruud said after the game.

He stressed that he would refrain from speaking on behalf of Felix Auger-Aliassime, but pointed out what everyone could see – that the Canadian was marked by the seriousness of the moment. He played well below par, perhaps because he was unable to handle the crowd’s initially clearly stated request to field the Norwegian.

– Felix might be nervous, Ruud disdain.

– I’m glad I can deny they cheered so much, he said, referring to the Montreal crowd.

Felix Auger-Aliassime, world number nine, looked desperate as Ruud – world number seven – sent him into a short break with a fourth straight win. Ruud broke Auger-Aliassime again, and then the home favorite could hear the famous pin drop on the hardcourt deck. Auger-Aliassime could barely contain himself and “waited” with his eighteenth error without pressure, not least as a result of the highly varied and convincing play from Casper Ruud’s side.

The Canadian had to hold more balls against his backhand, which he failed to deal with repeatedly. Ruud won the seventh game in a row, Felix Auger-Aliassime lost the second game blankly. Ruud excels from the baseline and at the net, and really is everywhere. It was a one-way trip to the semi-finals for fourth seed Ruud, the best seed of the tournament’s remaining players.

Felix Auger-Aliassime won his first game in 58 minutes as he played 1-4 in the second set. It was a kind of consolation for the poor. Casper Ruud dribbled the unrivaled Canadian from wing to flank, pressing opponents into making new mistakes on his own serve, hitting do-it-yourself after a long ball exchange in the 66th minute.

Five minutes later, Ruud’s game of Auger-Aliassime ended.

– I had some problems at the start. My battle plan is working fine. “It’s a very good result for me,” said Casper Ruud.