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Match details
Fixture: Casper Ruud vs Daniel Elahi Galan
Date: 16 March 2021
Tournament: Abierto Mexicano Telcel 2021
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Venue: Acapulco, Mexico
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $1,053,560
Match timing: Approx 10 pm local time, 9.30 am IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel
Casper Ruud vs Daniel Elahi Galan preview
Casper Ruud will return to competitive action at the 2021 Abierto Mexicano Telcel, where he is set to play Daniel Elahi Galan in the first round.
Ruud last played at the Australian Open, where he was forced to retire in the third round against Andrey Rublev due to a lower abdominal strain. He will now be keen on making a winning comeback in Mexico.
Galan, meanwhile, enters the tournament fresh off his first semifinal at an ATP tournament. He reached the last four in Santiago, having upset higher-ranked opponents in the preceding couple of matches.
While the Colombian did go on to lose to top seed and eventual champion Cristian Garin in straight sets, he still had plenty of takeaways from his performances in Chile.
Galan now sits on the cusp of a top-100 debut, having already reached a career-high ranking of No. 115 this week. And against an opponent returning from an injury, he might fancy his chances of scoring another upset win.
Casper Ruud vs Daniel Elahi Galan head-to-head
Casper Ruud leads Daniel Elahi Galan in the head-to-head by a comfortable 3-0 margin. The Norwegian is yet to drop a set against his opponent.
Casper Ruud vs Daniel Elahi Galan prediction
Casper Ruud enters this contest as the firm favorite, despite his recent break. The eighth seed has played his opponent before and will know what to expect from Daniel Elahi Galan.
A lot will depend on Ruud's ability to find his serve and his forehand. He plays his best tennis on claycourts, but lately has put in a lot of work into improving his game outside of his comfort zone.
Much like his opponent, Galan also plays his best tennis on the red dirt and relies heavily on his baseline consistency to win matches. He does not possess the biggest of groundstrokes, so Ruud is likely to be the aggressor in the match.
Brimming with confidence after a fine showing, Galan might be able to put up some resistance on Tuesday. But if Ruud can maintain his level of intensity throughout the match, he should be able to come through this one.
Prediction: Casper Ruud to win in three sets.
