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Match Details
Fixture: (4) Casper Ruud vs (Q) Laurent Lokoli
Date: July 3, 2023
Tournament: Wimbledon 2023
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: London, United Kingdom
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Grass
Prize money: £44,700,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | Canada - TSN & RDS | UK - BBC & Eurosport | India - Star Sports
Casper Ruud vs Laurent Lokoli preview
Three-time Major finalist Casper Ruud will face off against qualifier Laurent Lokoli in the first round of the 2023 Wimbledon on Monday.
Following an underwhelming start to the year, Ruud came back to life during the clay swing. He nabbed his 10th career title at the Estoril Open and then reached the semifinals of the Italian Open.
A runner-up at last year's French Open, Ruud managed to repeat the feat yet again. He defeated players like Holger Rune and Alexander Zverev to reach the championship round before losing to Novak Djokovic in straight sets. The Norwegian hasn't competed in any tournament since then.
Lokoli, meanwhile, flagged off his Wimbledon journey by competing in the qualifying rounds. He defeated Nicholas Ionel and Norbert Gombos with ease, but was put to the test by Michael Mmoh. The Frenchman overcame his opponent in five sets to secure a spot in the main draw here for the first time in his career.
Casper Ruud vs Laurent Lokoli head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between the two, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Casper Ruud vs Laurent Lokoli odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Casper Ruud vs Laurent Lokoli prediction
Ruud arrives at Wimbledon without having played a competitive match on grass. His record at the grasscourt Major isn't inspiring either, having won just one match in his previous three appearances.
After losing in the first round in 2019 and 2021, the Norwegian scored his maiden win here last year. Ruud defeated Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the first round, but then lost to Ugo Humbert in the next round.
Lokoli competed in a couple of Challenger events prior to Wimbledon, but lost in the first round on both occasions. He played some inspired tennis to make it to the Wimbledon main draw, but that's where his journey is likely to end.
Lokoli has a shot at giving Ruud some trouble considering the latter's dismal record on the surface. But the qualifier has never beaten a player ranked in the top 100, let alone someone in the top 10. The gulf between their skills is quite vast, so unless the Norwegian throws in a stinker, he should be able to advance further.
Pick: Casper Ruud to win in straight sets.
