Bastad 2021: Casper Ruud vs Holger Rune preview, head-to-head & prediction | Nordea Open

Match details

Fixture: (1) Casper Ruud vs (WC) Holger Rune

Date: 15 July 2021

Tournament: Nordea Open 2021

Round: Second round (Round of 16)

Venue: Bastad, Sweden

Category: ATP 250

Surface: Clay

Prize money: €419,470

Live telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel

Casper Ruud vs Holger Rune preview

Top seed Casper Ruud will open his Nordea Open campaign against Danish wildcard Holger Rune on Thursday.

Ruud, who received a bye in the first round, is returning to clay after a disappointing grasscourt season. The Norwegian suffered a quarter-final defeat in Mallorca and then crashed out of Wimbledon in the first round. He will hope that a return to his favorite surface can spark a turnaround in fortunes.

Holger Rune

Rune, meanwhile, is steadily making his way up the rankings. The 18-year-old first served notice of his talent at Roland Garros two years ago, when he took the junior title. He has since managed a successful transition to the senior circuit and is eyeing a second ATP quarterfinal of the season.

Rune produced an impressive performance in the opening round at Bastad, ousting Radu Albot in three sets.

Casper Ruud vs Holger Rune head-to-head

Casper Ruud leads Holger Rune 1-0 in their current head-to-head. The Norwegian won their first-round meeting at Monte Carlo earlier this year in straight sets.

Casper Ruud vs Holger Rune prediction

Ruud will look to take control of the match using his big forehand.

Casper Ruud has been one of the best performers on clay this season; he won a title in Geneva and reached the semifinals in both Monte Carlo and Madrid. It goes without saying that he will be an overwhelming favorite in this contest.

The Norwegian will look to take control of the match using his topspin forehand, which is a huge weapon in slower conditions. His serve has also improved in recent seasons and can earn him plenty of cheap points.

That said, Ruud will still need to be wary of Holger Rune, who enjoys playing on clay. The youngster is extremely comfortable moving on this surface and tries to dictate play with his aggressive groundstrokes from the back of the court.

Both men possess powerful groundstrokes so this could well turn out to be a baseline slugfest. If Ruud can maintain a steady level throughout the encounter, he should be able to walk away with the win.

Prediction: Casper Ruud to win in three sets.