TennisSection previews the 2021 Monte-Carlo Masters as Pablo Carreno Busta (12) meets Casper Ruud in the Third Round on Thursday, April 15th 2021.
Will Casper Ruud be able to cause yet another upset here at the 2021 Monte-Carlo Masters as he looks to make his way to the Quarter-finals? Will Pablo Carreno Busta make it 7 wins in a row on clay after his amazing week in Andalucia last week and his strong start here in Monaco? Both players have put on solid performances here in Monte-Carlo, but only one will make their way to the Quarter-finals. Who will it be?
Casper Ruud got his first Top 10 win on Wednesday, beating the clay-court loving Diego Schwartzman in straight sets, causing the big upset 6-3/6-3. Ruud showed great composure throughout the match and he had a response for everything that Diego was throwing at him. Adding to this, he was able to win a lot of points on his serve quite easily, allowing him to swing a bit more freely in his return games, hurting the more experienced opponent. Casper Ruud played some strong tennis last week in Andalucia, and prior to that he was training on clay with Rafael Nadal, and I am sure all of this has helped him improve his game. Casper Ruud will have to be at his best here as he meets the winner of the 2021 Andalucia Open in Pablo Carreno Busta.
Pablo Carreno Busta put on a very solid performance against the always tough Karen Khachanov in the Second Round, beating the Russian in straight sets 6-2/6-3. Pablo just seems to be in great form this year on the clay already, having won his 5th career title just on Sunday at the 2021 Andalucia Open, and winning his first two matches here at the 2021 Monte-Carlo Masters without any issues. Pablo Carreno Busta, when on top of his game, is one of the most dangerous players out there as he can hurt you from all sides, serve, return, and volleying. However, with all these matches in the last week and a half, I am sure Pablo will be focusing on his recovery to ensure he is at his best, especially for when he meets players like Casper Ruud.
Pablo Carreno Busta and Casper Ruud have met 2 times before, with the head to head tied at 1-1. They have only ever met on clay and their matches have always gone to 3 tight sets. The last time they met was at the Kitzbuhel Open in 2019, where Ruud won 6-1/3-6/6-1. Although Pablo Carreno Busta has been playing so well in the last week and a half on clay, I believe he will be feeling it physically and he will not be able to withstand the constant pressure thrown at him by the very in form Casper Ruud. Don’t get me wrong, this is always going to be a very tight match, and will most likely go down to the wire, but at the end of the day, I see Casper Ruud getting another big win under his belt.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Casper Ruud to Win.
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