Sardinia 2020: Casper Ruud vs Yannick Hanfmann preview, head-to-head & prediction | Forte Village Sardegna Open

Match details

Fixture: Casper Ruud vs Yannick Hanfmann

Date: 15 October 2020

Tournament: Forte Village Sardegna Open 2020

Round: Second round (Round of 16)

Venue: Sardinia, Italy

Category: ATP 250

Surface: Red clay

Prize money: Approx. €271,345

Match timing: 10 am CEST, 1.30 pm IST

Live Telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel

Casper Ruud vs Yannick Hanfmann preview

Casper Ruud, the latest entrant in the top 25 of the men's singles rankings, arrives at the 2020 Forte Village Sardegna Open on the back of a very successful season.

The Norwegian had a particular good time playing on clay, the surface where he won his first ATP title back in February. He proved his prowess on the red dirt again with a couple of deep forays earlier this month, including a decent run at Roland Garros.

Ruud will now be looking to end the season on a high, but has his work cut out against big-serving German Yannick Hanfmann.

Yannick Hanfmann made the finals in Kitzbühel earlier this year.

Hanfmann, 28, has a big game that at one point had seemed destined for greatness. Unfortunately for the German though, consistent results have eluded him for the majority of his career so far.

Nonetheless, Hanfmann is having quite a season in 2020. Not only did he score his first top 10 win over Gael Monfils, but he also made it to the summit clash in Kitzbühel - only his second career final.

The German has a naturally aggressive game centered around a powerful serve and booming groundstrokes. Hanfmann definitely possesses enough tools in his armory to bother Ruud on Thursday.

Casper Ruud vs Yannick Hanfmann head-to-head

Casper Ruud has a 22-10 win-loss record for the year.

The two clay court experts have never met each other on tour before, so their current head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Casper Ruud vs Yannick Hanfmann prediction

Even with all the promising signs that Yannick Hanfmann has shown over the past few months, he remains a heavy underdog coming into this match.

Casper Ruud has played consistently well at a much higher level this season. The 21-year-old has amassed 22 match wins in the truncated season, with most of them coming on clay.

The tournament third-seed will be looking to cap a strong season with nothing short of a title run in Sardinia.

For Ruud, the match will be a lot about focusing on his own game and defensive prowess. Hanfmann possesses an explosive game, but if the Norwegian is able to bring out his best tennis, he should manage to withstand the Hanfmann barrage.

Prediction: Casper Ruud to win in two tight sets.