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The talented Casper Ruud is all set to make a return to tour at the 2020 Western & Southern Open, taking on Argentina's Diego Schwartzman in the first round. And the Norwegian will be looking to pick up right where he left off in March.
Ruud was brimming with confidence at the start of the year, reaching a career-high ranking of No. 34. He won his first ATP tour title at Buenos Aires, and followed it up with another final soon after in Santiago.
He will have to produce the same level of tennis coming into Cincinnati, as he is set to face a tough opposition in the form of ninth seed Diego Schwartzman.
The Argentine was himself going through a good phase at the start of the year, and is currently on the brink of a top 10 debut. He will be looking to put up a good show here and solidify his place among the top names.
Schwartzman has a favorable draw to make a deep run here, but only if he can manage a way past the talented Norwegian.
Ruud's all-out aggressive game could play right into the Schwartzman wheelhouse. A solid counter-puncher, the World No. 12 thrives against power players and doesn't allow them to take control. That, added with his defensive prowess, could possibly push Ruud into a corner.
Diego Schwartzman vs Casper Ruud head-to-head
The two players have played each other thrice previously, with Schwartzman leading the head-to-head 3-0. All three of their meetings came in 2018, but Schwartzman won one of them via a Ruud retirement.
The Argentine registered a straight-sets win in Melbourne Park, which was the only time that the two played on a hardcourt. But things have changed significantly since then, as Ruud has shown marked improvements over the last few months.
Diego Schwartzman vs Casper Ruud prediction
Despite the huge difference in ranking and level of experience, this is a fairly well-balanced matchup. It will really come down to do how well Schwartzman can handle the power coming at him from Ruud's racquet.
The Argentine's signature scrambling works best on clay, but he has had his fair share of success on the faster surfaces as well. He will have to make sure that Ruud is never too comfortable from the baseline, because if the Norwegian begins to find his range he could be hard to stop.
Prediction: Schwartzman to win in three sets.
Match details
Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2020
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $4,674,780
Live telecast: India - Sony Ten 2 | USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN
Match timing: 11 am EDT (8:30 pm IST)
