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Casper Ruud vs Taylor Fritz: Roland Garros – round of 16
The two-time Roland Garros finalist Casper Ruud will take on the highest-ranked American player Taylor Fritz in the round of 16 match at Roland Garros.
Casper Ruud Profile
Casper Ruud is seventh in the ATP rankings, and not that long ago, he was No. 2 in the world. The Norwegian is 38-10 for the season and 20-4 on clay.
Ruud is coming off a 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry. In the previous rounds, he defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in five sets and Felipe Meligeni Rodrigues Alves in straight sets.
Ruud won the title in Geneva the week before Roland Garros and the one in Barcelona in April. He also lost in the finals in Monte Carlo, Acapulco, and Los Cabos.
Ruud made it to the finals at Roland Garros the previous two years, losing to Rafael Nadal in 2022 and Novak Djokovic last year.
Taylor Fritz Profile
Taylor Fritz is 12th in the ATP rankings, and his career high was No. 5. The American is 25-10 for the season and 13-5 on clay.
He is coming off a 6-3, 6-2, 6-7, 5-7, 6-3 win over Thanasi Kokkinakis in the previous round after beating Dusan Lajovic and Federico Coria in the earlier rounds.
Fritz won the title in Delray Beach this season and lost the final in Munich.
This is his eighth appearance at Roland Garros, and he has made it this far for the first time.
Head-to-Head Ruud leads 1-0
- Ruud vs Fritz 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (2022 ATP Masters Cup)
Prediction and Conclusion
Both players are having solid seasons and have already won a couple of trophies. Ruud has been one of the best players on clay for years now, and he reached the final at Roland Garros the last two years. On the other hand, Fritz, like most Americans, has been playing on hard surfaces, but his results on clay this season look very promising. Fritz had major problems in the last round, almost spilling a two-set lead against Kokkinakis, but managed to go through in the decisive set. He may stay close in this match with his serve, but Ruud is the better overall player, especially on clay, and will be the one to advance to the quarterfinal.
