Match Details
Fixture: (28) Grigor Dimitrov vs Emil Ruusuvuori
Date: Thursday, June 1
Tournament: French Open 2023
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor clay
Prize money: €49,600,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel, NBC Sports, Peacock TV | Canada - TSN | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Ten
Grigor Dimitrov vs Emil Ruusuvuori preview
Twenty-eighth seed Grigor Dimitrov takes on Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori for a place in the French Open third round.
In his opener, the 29th-ranked Dimitrov beat Timofey Skatov in straight sets to improve to 16-10 on the season and 15-12 at Roland Garros. The 32-year-old started like a house on fire against Skatov, bagging a bagel opening set.
Dimitrov faced sterner resistance in the second, where he conceded three games, to take a commanding two-set lead. It was more of the same story in the third, as the Bulgarian sprinted past the finish line for the loss of two more games.
Coming off a loss to Nicolas Jarry in the Geneva final a week ago, Dimitrov is now 7-4 on European clay as he seeks to reach the second week at Roland Garros for the first time.
Meanwhile, World No. 46 Ruusuvuori had a far tougher route to the second round, needing five sets to see off Frenchman Gregoire Barrere. After the Finn pocketed the opener, Barrere responded by taking the next two sets.
It was all Ruusuvuori in the next two sets, though, as he conceded just five games to improve to 16-13 on the season and 2-3 at Roland Garros, having also reached the second round last year.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Emil Ruusuvuori head-to-head
The two players haven't met before on tour, so their head-to-head record stands at 0-0.
Grigor Dimitrov vs Emil Ruusuvuori odds
(All odds as per BETMGM)
Grigor Dimitrov vs Emil Ruusuvuori prediction
Both Dimitrov and Ruusuvuori look to dominate opponents off the back of the court and have similar game styles: big serve, powerful hitting off either flank, and good movement.
However, the Bulgarian takes the edge because of his superior experience, consistency, and pedigree, especially on clay. Dimitrov is 38-29 on the surface, while Ruusuvuori is 14-19.
Moreover, Dimitrov is coming off his first final in five years, so he should continue his good run on clay to reach the third round for the second straight year.
Pick: Dimitrov in four sets