Holger Rune and Casper Ruud have a bit of history, and we'll get a new chapter of this Nordic rivalry at the 2024 Mexican Open in Acapulco.
This upcoming Mexican Open matchup between Rune and Ruud will, in many ways, be a test of resilience for both. They're both from Scandinavia, a part of the world where it doesn't generally get as warm as it is these days in Acapulco.
Both have handled the heat very well so far, as Rune cruised through all his matches without issues. He made the semi-final here last year but couldn't really progress past that. He's back in Acapulco again but will now face Ruud, who is playing superb tennis.
Ruud's comeback win over Ben Shelton was very cold. He didn't allow a single break point to the American in the entire match and calmly navigated the rather tricky matchup. Rune has been somewhat of a problem for him in the past, so it will be interesting to see how this match unfolds.
Head-to-head:
I'm pretty sure many will be confused as to why I called Rune problematic for Ruud if the Norwegian leads the matchup 5-1. It's mostly the playstyle that gives Ruud trouble, though Rune has generally struggled to play a complete match.
On his best day, Rune certainly can beat Ruud, but so far, he really struggled to produce it consistently. It generally happens for a set or two, and I can also see that happening here. Overall, Ruud seems to be on another level right now.
Prediction:
One thing to remember, though, is the workload for Ruud. He made the final last week in Los Cabos, and he played doubles that week as well. He's now in the semi-final in Acapulco, so that's seven singles matches in 9 days and in two different cities.
Add a few doubles matches to that and the conditions and you have a good recipe for fatigue. I still like him to win.
Prediction: Casper Ruud to win in three sets.
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