Casper Ruud and Tommy Paul will clash in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Indian Wells Open, fighting for a spot in the final four.
Both players are playing at a very solid level at the season's first ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the year. However, Ruud is yet to face a higher-ranked opponent, while the American will play a play ranked higher than him for the second time.
Paul outplayed Ugo Humbert in the third round, and he also bested Alex Michelsen in the second round and Luca Nardi, who stunned Novak Djokovic, in the fourth round of the tournament.
On the other hand, the Norwegian played against Lukas Klein, Arthur Fils, and Gael Monfils, losing a s et only to the most experienced of these three players in what was a dramatic three-set fight.
Head-to-head:
The two have met already five times on the ATP Tour, and technically, Paul never beat Ruud in a completed match. He was victorious in their first-ever meeting in 2017, which ended in Ruud's retirement.
| Casper Ruud | Tommy Paul | |
| 4 | H2H | 1 |
| 9 | Rank | 18 |
| 25 | Age | 26 |
| 17-3 | 2024 W/L | 14-4 |
| 224-118 | Career W/L | 145-110 |
Since then, the Norwegian won all four matches that they played, winning one each year since 2020, and this will be their sixth meeting, and he will be looking to extend the streak.
Ruud won at three of the four Grand Slams, beating his opponent at the French Open in 2020, Australian Open in 2021, US Open in 2022, and last year, he beat him at the Laver Cup.
Prediction:
Although Paul has yet to lose a set and plays on home soil, Ruud has been playing really well this year, especially after he made changes to his preparation, which went terribly last year.
He should have the upper hand also in this match, even though Paul is certainly capable of fighting until the last ball and taking the match at least to the third set.
Prediction: Casper Ruud to win in three sets.
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