US Open 2022: Casper Ruud vs. Karen Khachanov Tennis Pick and Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2022 US Open as Casper Ruud takes on Karen Khachanov in the semifinals on Friday, September 9th, 2022.

Will Casper Ruud make another big step towards attaining the no. 1 ranking? Will Karen Khachanov get another massive win and reach his first major final? This will be a fascinating one, where we have an unexpected encounter but one that could turn into an epic. Who will triumph and move through to the finals at the 2022 US Open?

Casper Ruud dispatched of Matteo Berrettini in an easy straight sets, 6-1 6-4 7-6, although it was a relatively uneventful match, Ruud played some of the best hard court tennis of his career and he’s going to want to back that up with a massive opportunity for him coming up against Karen Khachanov. I don’t love the matchup for him, as Khachanov is going to be serving exceptionally well and preventing Ruud from grinding it out, especially on the backhand to backhand exchanges, as unlikely as it would have sounded at the start of the tournament, Karen Khachanov might just advance to his very first major final at the 2022 US Open.

Karen Khachanov took down Nick Kyrgios in a 5 set epic, 7-5 4-6 7-5 6-7 6-4, over 4 hours of brilliant tennis. Both of them served unbelievably well, but Khachanov was just so solid from the baseline, not allowing Kyrgios to dictate from the back at all. As he faces Casper Ruud, he’ll know his chances here are just as likely as his opponent. If he wants to win this one, he’ll have to serve incredibly well, and really try to end those points quickly. If he allows Ruud to start grinding from the baseline, he might let the Norwegian wear him down as these two clash for a place in the final of the 2022 US Open.

Casper Ruud and Karen Khachanov have met once before, with Casper Ruud leading the head to head 1-0. Their one meeting came in 2020 on the clay, with Ruud needing 3 sets to take that one. Although this match doesn’t really do anything for us in predicting this one, Khachanov did manage to take a set off Ruud on the clay, and if he can do that, he can absolutely take it to him on a fast hard court. I expect him to serve lights out, and I think he’s going to kill Ruud on the backhand to backhand rallies, being able to finish points with his forehand. We’re going to have a tussle, but ultimately, I see Khachanov taking down Ruud and booking himself a slot in the final clash at the 2022 US Open.