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Casper Ruud rallied from a set down to beat an error-prone Marin Cilic 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 on Friday to become the first Norwegian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final.
The Croatian, whose last semifinal appearance at a major was at the 2018 Australian Open when he reached the final, encountered stiff resistance from Rublev but his 33 aces made the difference.
The 2014 US Open champion, seeded 20th, dominated proceedings from the start and finished off the contest in an hour and 45 minutes to reach the last eight stage on the Parisian clay for the third time in his career.
World No. 1 doubles pair Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic beat Italian duo Fabio Fognini and Jannik Sinner to seal a 2-1 victory.
Marin Cilic, the 2017 runner-up, suffered a shock 3-6, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-5 defeat by Argentine Guido Pella.
Croatia will enter the history books as winners of the last final played in the traditional format before the 118-year-old team competition gets a major revamp.
Their inclusion will complete a formidable field also featuring Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem and Grigor Dimitrov, with the first of four legs set to take place in Belgrade on June 13 and 14.
The 33-year-old has had a relatively stress-free time at the tournament so far, dropping just one set and getting a walkover in the second round.
Results 1-8
