Andrey Rublev has put together a really solid week at the 2024 Hong Kong Open, making it to the final, and he'll take on Emil Ruusuvuori for the trophy.
Rublev made a habit out of colleting these trophies, and he gets 2024 started the right way. The first event in the new year and the first chance to get another trophy. This week was primarily to prepare for the Australian Open, but any time you can get a trophy is a good weak.
It wasn't a week where Rublev demonstrated tennis without flaws. He was pushed a few times and will get pushed more in the final. Ruusuvori is a tricky player capable of hitting the ball really hard, and sometimes that's all you really need.
Head-to-head:
Rublev and Ruusuvori have played before, and while the Russian leads 2-1, the H2H proves that it's an interesting matchup. The most recent of these three matches came last year in Cincinnati and Rublev actually lost that match.
Cincinnati plays pretty fast, which is the case for Hong Kong, and therein lies the danger. Rublev is the far better player and far better from the baseline, but when you add quickness into the mix, you open the chance for Ruusuvuori to win the match.
Prediction:
The thing about the Finn is that he's a pretty streaky player, which means that, in theory, he could be Roger Federer or some semi-pro. It literally depends on the day, but this week has been pretty solid, so we'll assume that he'll show up in a good way.
If he does, it could get a bit hairy, but the resilience Rublev showed this week should push him past the Finnish player. I expect three sets, but I would be pretty surprised if Rublev doesn't manage to win this match in the end.
Prediction: Andrey Rublev to win in three sets.
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