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Match Details
Fixture: (8) Casper Ruud vs (10) Hubert Hurkacz
Date: April 11, 2024
Tournament: Monte-Carlo Masters 2024
Round: Third Round (Round of 16)
Venue: Monte Carlo Country Club
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Clay
Prize Money: €5,950,575
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel - USA | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Casper Ruud vs Hubert Hurkacz preview
Top 10 players Casper Ruud and Hubert Hurkacz will clash in the third round of the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters on Thursday.
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As one of the top eight seeds here, Ruud was the recipient of a bye into the second round, where he was up against Alejandro Tabilo. The Norwegian reeled off five straight games from 2-1 onwards in the first set to claim it with ease.
Tabilo put up more of a fight in the second set as he fought back from 4-2 down to level the score. It didn't deter Ruud in the slightest as he nabbed the next couple of games to wrap up a 6-2, 6-4 win.
Hurkacz defeated Jack Draper 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (2) in his opener to book a second round duel against Roberto Bautista Agut. The two remained quite solid on serve for most of the first set but it was the Spaniard who blinked first in the end.
Hurkacz nabbed the decisive break in the 11th game to go 6-5 up and then served out the set to put himself in the driver's seat. Bautista Agut started the second set on a positive note as he went up a break to lead 2-0.
However, Hurkacz managed to dig himself out of trouble to level the score. Neither player ceded any ground in any of their service games after that. The set eventually went into a tie-break, in which the Pole gained the upper hand to score a 7-5, 7-6 (4) win.
Casper Ruud vs Hubert Hurkacz head-to-head
The two have split their previous couple of meetings evenly to tie the head-to-head at 1-1. Hurkacz won their prior encounter at the 2022 Canadian Open in three sets.
Casper Ruud vs Hubert Hurkacz odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Casper Ruud vs Hubert Hurkacz prediction
Hurkacz edged past Bautista Agut to notch up his sixth consecutive win. He captured his maiden title on clay at last week's Estoril Open. His newfound love for the surface will be tested against Ruud, who's quite adept on the red dirt.
The Norwegian made it past Tabilo unscathed but the in-form Hurkacz will provide a sterner test. Ruud did defeat him when they contested their only match on clay, which was at the 2022 French Open and went on to reach the final as well.
After the highs of 2022, Ruud had an underwhelming 2023 season. He admitted that he needed to inject more aggression into his game and he has done the same considerably well this year.
Hurkacz's recent wave of success could sway the tide in his favor. However, Ruud's prior results on clay does peg him as the favorite in this match-up as he's not easy to beat on these courts.
Pick: Casper Ruud to win in three sets.
