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Match Details
Fixture: (4) Casper Ruud vs Alexei Popyrin
Date: April 10, 2025
Tournament: Monte-Carlo Masters 2025
Round: Third Round (Round of 16)
Venue: Monte Carlo Country Club
Category: Masters 1000
Surface: Clay
Prize Money: €6,128,940
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Casper Ruud vs Alexei Popyrin preview
Fourth seed Casper Ruud will lock horns with Alexei Popyrin in the third round of the Monte-Carlo Masters 2025.
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Ruud received a bye into the second round, where he was up against former top 10 player Roberto Bautista Agut. The Norwegian was in control of the match from the very first point and dictated the play until the very end. He played one of his best matches of the season for an easy 6-2, 6-1 win.
Popyrin rallied from a set down to beat Ugo Humbert 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 to reach the second round, where 14th seed Frances Tiafoe awaited him. The Aussie was initially able to overcome a break deficit in the first set but couldn't do so for the second time, thus conceding the set to his opponent.
Popyrin set things right by taking the second set to level the match. With momentum on his side, he raced to a 5-2 lead in the third set. Tiafoe woke up from his slumber and stopped his rival from serving out the match after that. However, it turned out to be a very brief reprieve. The Aussie broke back immediately to wrap up a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 comeback win.
Casper Ruud vs Alexei Popyrin head-to-head
This will be the first career meeting between the two, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Casper Ruud vs Alexei Popyrin odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Casper Ruud vs Alexei Popyrin prediction
Contesting his very first match of the clay swing, Ruud was at his very best. He lost only seven points on his serve during the entire match against Bautista Agut. A runner-up in Monte Carlo last year, he could go all the way this time if he plays at a similar level throughout the tournament.
For the second match in a row, Popyrin staged a comeback to emerge victorious. He has won back-to-back matches for the first time this season and improved his record for the year to 4-7. He has also scored consecutive wins over top 20 players for the first time since his run to the Canadian Open title last year.
Popyrin has a 2-4 record against top 10 players on clay. However, one of his two wins came at last year's Monte-Carlo Masters, when he took out defending champion Andrey Rublev. He certainly has the potential to pull off an upset and he has Masters 1000 title to his name, unlike Ruud.
Nevertheless, Ruud is a different beast on clay. He posted a 24-7 record on clay last year, while Popyrin has a 22-24 career record on the surface. Thus, the Norwegian will be the heavy favorite to win this match.
Pick: Casper Ruud to win in straight sets.
