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Match details
Fixture: Jordan Thompson vs Casper Ruud
Date: 8 February 2021
Tournament: Australian Open 2021
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: Melbourne, Australia
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: AUD $80 million
Match timing: Approx. 6 pm local time, 12.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel | India - Sony Six
Jordan Thompson vs Casper Ruud preview
Home favorite Jordan Thompson is set to open his 2021 Australian Open campaign with a first-round match against 27th seeded Casper Ruud on Tuesday.
Thompson started his year with a quarterfinal run at the Great Ocean Road Open, where he lost to Thiago Monteiro. He will now be looking to better his second-round showing from last year, but faces an uphill task against Ruud.
The Norwegian had a breakthrough season in 2020, where he reached two tour finals and made a couple of third-round appearances at Grand Slam tournaments. However, he ended the year with a few underwhelming losses, and will be keen to turn things around.
The 22-year-old, a proven claycourt specialist, has made some good progress on hardcourts in recent times as well. That said, he has suffered a couple of early exits in Melbourne (including the first-round last year); it seems he is yet to find the right combination to play on Australian soil.
Jordan Thompson vs Casper Ruud head-to-head
Jordan Thompson and Casper Ruud have split their previous two meetings, so the current head-to-head stands at a 1-1 deadlock.
Both of the duo's matches came in 2018. The Norwegian took the claycourt encounter in Paris, and his opponent pulled level on the hardcourts of Canada.
Jordan Thompson vs Casper Ruud prediction
This is a fairly well-balanced match-up, but Jordan Thompson enters the contest as a slight underdog given his opponent's superior ranking and form in recent months.
For Casper Ruud, the key will be to make the best use of his big forehand and to stay aggressive throughout. Hanging around on the baseline and waiting for errors from his opponent are unlikely to reap rewards for the youngster.
Both men enter this match with a lot to play for. Neither of the two has been able to bring out their A game in Melbourne, and it could prove to be a tight affair on Tuesday.
Ruud has put in a lot of work on his serve and forehand in the last year or so. It's that added power on the groundstrokes that might help him survive Thompson in this one.
Prediction: Casper Ruud to win in four sets.
