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Match details
Fixture: (2) Casper Ruud vs (Q) Taro Daniel.
Date: March 1, 2023.
Tournament: Mexican Open 2023.
Round: Second Round (Round of 16).
Venue: Acapulco, Mexico.
Category: ATP 500.
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt.
Prize money: $2,013,940.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | Canada - TSN.
Casper Ruud vs Taro Daniel preview
World No. 4 Casper Ruud will take on qualifier Taro Daniel in the second round of the 2023 Mexican Open on Wednesday.
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Ruud faced qualifier Guido Andreozzi in the opening round here. The first set had plenty of momentum shifts as each player was unable to hold on to the lead they acquired.
Andreozzi went 2-0 up, but Ruud claimed the next three games to make it 3-2. The Norwegian lost the next couple of games, only for him to bag the next three on the trot to capture the set.
Ruud trailed 2-0 at the start of the second set, but managed to level the score down the line. Andreozzi then secured the decisive break in the ninth game and proceeded to serve out the set to stay in contention.
Andreozzi had a couple of break points in the 11th game of the third set, but Ruud dug deep to get himself out of trouble. The World No. 4 came out on top in the ensuing tie-break to eventually win the match 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (2).
Meanwhile, Taro Daniel defeated Juan Alejandro Hernandez Serrano and Brandon Holt to book his place in the main draw of the Mexican Open. He was up against J.J. Wolf in the first round.
Daniel jumped to a 3-1 lead in the opener and broke his opponent's serve once again to make it 5-2. However, he failed in his first attempt to close out the set as Wolf put up a fight and won the next couple of games. The Japanese managed to clinch the second on his second try.
The second set started with three consecutive service breaks, with Daniel coming out on top to lead 2-1. He maintained his position as the frontrunner until the end. While he did waste a couple of match points on Wolf's serve at 5-4, he wrapped up the proceedings in the next game to win 6-4, 6-4.
Casper Ruud vs Taro Daniel head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Casper Ruud vs Taro Daniel odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Casper Ruud vs Taro Daniel prediction
Casper Ruud's scrappy win over a player ranked outside the top 300 left a lot to be desired. He trailed by a break in all three sets and against another top player, it would've been quite difficult for him to stage an escape act.
The Norwegian made errors at inopprtune moments that almost cost him the match. However, towards the end of the contest Ruud displayed the intensity that pushed him to the top of the men's game. His serving stats were a bright spot in an otherwise error prone performance.
Meanwhile, Taro Daniel's win over Wolf in the first round was just his second of the season. He's almost on par with Ruud, who has just three victories under his belt. The World No. 4 seems to have regressed a bit in his gameplay since the start of the year.
Based on their form, this contest could swing either way, but given Ruud's accomplishments, he'll still be the favorite to emerge victorious.
Pick: Casper Ruud to win in three sets.
