Estoril Open 2023: Ruud vs Baez Tennis Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Estoril Open quarterfinal match featuring Casper Ruud vs Sebastian Baez on Friday, April 7, 2023.

Ruud vs Baez Match Preview

Top seed Casper Ruud will face one of the biggest tests of the week when he plays defending champion Sebastian Baez. Who will prevail and reach the semifinal at the 2023 Estoril Open?

Casper Ruud is now 6-6 for the season but had to dig deep to get his debut win at the Estoril Open. He defeated former champion Joao Sousa 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 in just over two hours. It’s never easy playing Sousa in his home territory despite his waning power, but Ruud meant business here, regrouping after dropping the first set and putting the Portuguese veteran under a myriad of pressure on the return. He converted five of 18 break points but will need to serve a lot better against Sebastian Baez in the quarters.

Sebastian Baez, for his part, defeated fellow Argentine Pedro Cachin 6-4, 7-6 in over two hours. It was a typical slugfest between South Americans with the match featuring many breathtaking rallies. Baez was the steadier and sturdy performer throughout and deservedly punched his ticket into the Estoril Open quarterfinals.

Ruud vs Baez Prediction and Pick

Casper Ruud and Sebastian Baez have not played each other on the ATP Tour, with this being their first meeting. Ruud shook off a few cobwebs in his first match on clay, and he’ll be pleased with how it ended against Sousa. Baez is naturally at home on the clay and puts every ounce of energy into every point. He’ll need it in full supply against Ruud. The Norwegian has flattered to deceive for three months now and performances have been flat, largely due to an elongated playing season in 2022. It’s a surprise to see Baez at such long odds to win here given how poor Ruud has been this year. At +166, the defending champion is worth backing.