Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Casper Ruud: Will the Greek keep his playoff chances?

In the second round of the group stage of the ATP Finals, world No. 4 Stephanos Tsitsipas will face No. 8 ranked Masters player Casper Ruud. The men have faced each other three times on tour, with two wins for the Greek and one win for the Norwegian. However, bookmakers consider Stefanos to be the favourite.

Before the final tournament, Stefanos talked about recovering from an elbow injury. However, the match against Rublev showed that the Greek is not in the best shape right now. Tsitsipas lost to the Russian in two sets in an hour and a half. Tsitsipas beat Ruud three months ago on the hard court in Toronto, Canada, easily 6-1, 6-4. So the hope of seeing the Greek in the playoffs is alive.

I want to improve. I intend to play my best in the next match. I can lose one match at this tournament but not more. I’ve already got some experience at the World Cup, and that adds to my confidence. Of course, I shouldn’t forget about the importance of the set difference. Anyway, as the competition goes on, there’s a chance to grow. That’s what I’m going to try to do.

Stefanos Tsitsipas after his match against Rublev

This is the first Open of his career for the Norwegian. The Final has its specifics, plus a very high density of opponents, which comes from the regulations. The Norwegian came to Turin from Paris, where he lost in the quarter-finals to Alexander Zverev in two sets. In Piedmont, Ruud had already played a match against Djokovic. The Norwegian fought against the Serb in the first set but lost on a tie-break and fell in the second game. It is also worth recalling that Casper is still more of a primer. Playing on hard court is not the Scandinavian’s strong suit.

Novak is always ready. It’s very hard to play against him because he has a great read of the game. He’s very good at finding his position on the court. Even when it looks like you can win a point easily, Djokovic pulls the ball out in an amazing way. He’s the most dangerous player in the key moments of games.

Casper Ruud after his match against Novak Djokovic

Tsitsipas is not at his best, but the Greek is closer to the Indians than Casper Ruud. Three months ago, Stefanos crushed Casper in Toronto. We believe the Hellenic has a good chance of beating the Norwegian in Turin. We won’t be surprised if he wins in two sets and soon enough. Here are the odds for the game: Handicap 1 (-1.5) for 1.86, correct score 2-0 for 2.50.