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Match details
Fixture: Emil Ruusuvuori vs Philipp Kohlschreiber
Date: 11 March 2021
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open.
Round: First round (Round of 128).
Venue: Indian Wells, USA.
Category: ATP Masters 1000.
Surface: Hardcourt.
Prize money: $8,584,055.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Voot
Emil Ruusuvuori vs Philipp Kohlschreiber preview
World No. 70 Emil Ruusuvuori takes on German qualifier Philipp Kohlschreiber in the first round of the Indian Wells Masters in California on Friday.
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One of the most talented youngsters on the tour, the 22-year-old has made a fine start to the season. He reached the last four of the Melbourne Summer Set 1, where he bowed out to Rafael Nadal. The Finn then went a step further to finish as the runner-up in Pune, edged by Joao Sousa in a thrilling three-setter.
He next registered a win apiece in Doha and the Davis Cup Qualifiers before arriving in Indian Wells.
Ruusuvuori's first-round opponent, the 38-year-old Philipp Kohlschreiber, has been a veteran on the tour. With a career-high ranking of 16, he has eight titles to his name.
The German has been mostly plying his trade in the Challenger circuit and the qualifying stages of tour-level events for some time now.
Last year, his notable achievements included reaching the last eight at Halle and the Heilbronn Challenger.
Kohlschreiber has mightily struggled for form this year and had just a couple of wins heading into the BNP Paribas Open. At the inaugural ATP Masters 1000 tournament, however, the German managed to produce superb fighting spirit to notch three-set wins over Alex Bolt and Denis Kudla in qualifying.
Emil Ruusuvuori vs Philipp Kohlschreiber head-to-head
Ruusuvuori and Kohlschreiber have never met on the tour before, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0. However, they did cross paths at the Bendigo Challenger in Canberra in 2020, where the German ran away to a 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-3 win.
Emil Ruusuvuori vs Philipp Kohlschreiber prediction
Kohlschreiber has more experience playing at the highest level than Ruusuvuori but has been highly inconsistent for some time. He, however, appears to have found his rhythm in Indian Wells with two convincing and gritty wins in qualifying.
The German is an all-court player with solid groundstrokes off both the wings. Although his forehand is the stronger wing, his single-handed backhand, too, could be a major weapon in throwing his opponents off their pace.
However, playing three-setters back-to-back at the age of 38 could take its toll on the German. He might not find the energy to run with an opponent who has 16 years on him.
Not only will Ruusuvuori be the fresher of the two in this clash, he also has the confidence coming into this contest. He has been playing some smart tennis throughout the year and will be eager to keep it going.
The Finn has effortless power off both wings and a strong serve to go with it. He also likes to take the ball early, which will rob Kohlschreiber off precious time.
Until and unless Ruusuvuori starts making too many unforced errors, he should be through to the second round.
Prediction: Ruusuvuori to win in straight sets.
