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Match Details
Fixture: (8) Casper Ruud vs (Q) Aleksandar Vukic
Date: 4 October, 2024
Tournament: Shanghai Masters 2024
Round: Second Round
Venue: Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, Shanghai, China
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Hardcourt (Outdoor)
Prize Money: $8,995,555
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN | India - Sony
Casper Ruud vs Aleksandar Vukic preview
Eighth seed Casper Ruud is set to open his 2024 Shanghai campaign against Australian qualifier Aleksandar Vukic in a blockbuster second-round clash on Thursday, October 4.
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Ruud claimed the biggest title of his career in Barcelona earlier this year, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. He also won the title in Geneva. Additionally, Ruud reached the finals at the Monte Carlo Masters, as well as back-to-back finals in Los Cabos and Acapulco. His best Grand Slam result of the year came with a run to the semifinals at the French Open, where he lost to Alexander Zverev.
Ruud has, however, struggled with consistency, especially on hard courts. His North American hardcourt swing was disappointing, with a third-round exit in Montreal, an opening-round loss in Cincinnati, and a fourth-round defeat at the US Open to eventual finalist Taylor Fritz. He competed last at the Japan Open as the third seed but was upset in his opener by Jordan Thompson.
Vukic began his Shanghai campaign in the qualifiers as the second seed. He edged past Maxime Cressy in two tight sets, 6-4, 7-6(3), before delivering a more dominant performance against 20th seed Mitchell Krueger, winning 6-4, 6-4 in just over an hour to secure a spot in the main draw.
In the first round, Vukic faced Corentin Moutet. After a slow start and dropping the first set, he turned the match around, dominating play from all areas of the court to seal an emphatic 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory.
Casper Ruud vs Aleksandar Vukic head-to-head
Casper Ruud and Aleksandar Vukic have yet to face off in professional competition so their head-to-head stands at 0-0.
Casper Ruud vs Aleksandar Vukic odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Casper Ruud vs Aleksandar Vukic prediction
It's no secret that hard courts aren't Casper Ruud's favored surface. He has suffered another underwhelming season on the surface, compiling a 23-10 match record on it so far this year, and having gone 4-4 since the end of Wimbledon. The Norwegian has struggled with consistency and has lacked the confidence to close out tight points and matches.
Vukic has also had a tough season on hard courts, with a 6-12 record so far. He has yet to win more than three consecutive main draw matches on the surface. Apart from a deep run in Winston-Salem last month, he has struggled for form since the start of the hardcourt swing in Atlanta, winning just four of his last nine matches.
Ruud enters the contest as the favorite, thanks to his stronger hardcourt record. His better overall record for the year and at the Masters 1000 should give him the edge over the less experienced Vukic.
Pick: Casper Ruud to win in straight sets.
