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Match details
Fixture: Matteo Berrettini vs Emil Ruusuvuori
Date: 24 August 2020
Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2020
Round: Round of 32
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $4,674,780
Match timing: 5 pm EDT, 2.30 am IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Sony Ten 2
After a first-round bye, World No. 8 Matteo Berrettini opens his campaign at the 2020 Cincinnati Masters against 21-year-old Emil Ruusuvuori of Finland.
The 2019 US Open semifinalist made his lone appearance of the season at the Australian Open, where he beat Andrew Harris before losing to eventual quarterfinalist Tennys Sandgren in five sets. Matteo Berrettini has not played another competitive match since that defeat, as he was afflicted by an abdominal injury just before the coronavirus-enforced suspension of the tour.
Ruusuvuori meanwhile came through two rounds of qualifying in Montpellier and won his first-round match against Dennis Novak before losing to Norbert Gombos in straight sets. In his only other tour-level appearance of the year, Ruusuvuori fell to Canada's Vasek Pospisil at Marseille.
One of 12 men to qualify for the main draw at the 2020 Cincinnati Masters, Ruusuvuori went a break down in the third set of the first round before recovering to beat 20-year-old Sebastian Korda.
Matteo Berrettini vs Emil Ruusuvuori head-to-head
The 24-year-old Matteo Berrettini has never met the younger Emil Ruusuvuori on the tour before, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Matteo Berrettini vs Emil Ruusuvuori prediction
Matteo Berrettini is making his 11th Masters 1000 appearance (7-10 record) at the 2020 Cincinnati Masters, while Emil Ruusuvuori is playing in his first. On paper, the pair's meeting looks like a mismatch.
The 24-year-old Berrettini would be expected to advance despite not having played a single competitive match since the Australian Open in January. However, it is not an utterly hopeless cause for the talented Finn.
Ruusuvuori would fancy his chances against Matteo Berrettini given that the top 10 player has never won a main draw match in Cincinnati. That, coupled with the fact that Ruuuvuori has already played a match at the tournament, should lend the pair's first meeting some competitive fervor.
Nevertheless, a win for the big-serving Italian is the most likely prospect.
Prediction: Matteo Berrettini to win in straight sets.
