Paris Masters 2021: Casper Ruud vs Marcos Giron preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (6) Casper Ruud vs Marcos Giron

Date: 4 November 2021

Tournament: Rolex Paris Masters 2021

Round: Third round (Round of 16)

Venue: Paris, France

Category: Masters 1000

Surface: Indoor hardcourt

Prize money: €2,603,700

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Casper Ruud vs Marcos Giron preview

Sixth seed Casper Ruud will take on America's Marcos Giron in the third round of the 2021 Paris Masters on Thursday.

Ruud opened his campaign with a strong 6-4, 6-0 win over Alexander Bublik. The Norwegian went down an early break in the opening game, but took complete control of the match after leveling the set at 4-4.

He will now be looking to carry the momentum into the business end of the tournament.

Marcos Giron has staged a couple of upsets already this week.

Giron, on his part, also looks to have found his best form in Paris. The American opened his campaign with an impressive win over Vienna finalist Frances Tiafoe, before following it up with another upset win over Diego Schwartzman.

Giron is at a career high of No. 57 in the world rankings, and he made the semifinals of the Sofia Open last month. Given his recent performances, the 25-year-old could well cause a few problems for Ruud on Thursday.

Casper Ruud vs Marcos Giron head-to-head

This is set to be the first career meeting between Casper Ruud and Marcos Giron, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.

Casper Ruud vs Marcos Giron prediction

Casper Ruud will be eyeing to secure his place at the ATP Finals/

Given the gulf in the rankings, Casper Ruud will enter this contest as the firm favorite. The Norwegian has a stellar 15-5 win-loss record at Masters 1000 events this season, but he will need to be wary of the in-form Marcos Giron.

The American has played a lot of matches in Paris, having come through the qualification rounds. Against Ruud, he will be looking to make his first quarterfinal at this level.

Giron possesses a solid baseline-oriented game, but will need to play with a certain level of intent on Thursday. A passive approach is unlikely to yield results against the sixth seed.

Ruud has the extra motivation to book his spot in the ATP Finals here this week, and will step out looking to assert his dominance from the back court. If the Norwegian can maintain a steady level, he should be able to fend off Giron in this one.

Prediction: Casper Ruud to win in three sets.