Geneva Open 2021: Denis Shapovalov vs Casper Ruud preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (2) Denis Shapovalov vs (3) Casper Ruud

Date: 22 May 2021

Tournament: Gonet Geneva Open 2021

Round: Final

Venue: Geneva, Switzerland

Category: ATP 250

Surface: Red clay

Prize money: €419,470

Match timing: Not before 4 pm local time, 2 pm GMT, 10 am EST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel

Denis Shapovalov vs Casper Ruud preview

Denis Shapovalov came through a tight battle against Pablo Cuevas on Friday to secure a 6-4, 7-5 win and book his place in the final of the 2021 Geneva Open.

Awaiting the Canadian in the summit clash is Norway's Casper Ruud, who continued his good run of form by notching up a resounding win over Pablo Andujar in the other semifinal.

Casper Ruud

Ruud is in the midst of a successful claycourt season, having reached the semifinals in Madrid and Monte Carlo. The Norwegian has secured wins over seasoned campaigners in Stefanos Tsitsipas, Diego Schwartzman and Pablo Carreno Busta this year, and is showing no signs of slowing down.

Shapovalov, on the other hand, had been going through a bit of a lull before taking Rafael Nadal to three electric sets in the Rome third round. The Canadian even held match point in the decider before going down in the eventual tiebreaker, and that display seems to have given him a whole lot of confidence.

Denis Shapovalov vs Casper Ruud head-to-head

This will be the first career meeting between Denis Shapovalov and Casper Ruud, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.

Denis Shapovalov vs Casper Ruud prediction

Denis Shapovalov will be playing in his first claycourt final.

Denis Shapovalov and Casper Ruud have both produced some of their best tennis in the lead-up to the final, which has all the makings of a blockbuster.

Can't stop, won't stop 💪🇳🇴 @CasperRuud98 continues his clay-court success and defeats Andujar 6-3, 6-2 to reach the final in Geneva.🎥: @TennisTV | @genevaopen pic.twitter.com/j4FNg0GBsZ

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 21, 2021

Shapovalov, who will be playing in his first claycourt final, possesses a power-packed game better suited for faster surfaces. However, the Canadian has shown that he can hit through most opponents even on the red dirt.

Pulling out ALL the stops 😲🇨🇦 @denis_shapo scores a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 win against Cuevas and will face Ruud for the title in Geneva. 🏆🎥: @TennisTV | @genevaopen pic.twitter.com/UJvm7GGwNJ

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 21, 2021

Ruud on his part has been striking the ball cleanly, and his forehand and serve have proven to be potent weapons in recent weeks. Importantly, the Norwegian is a better mover than Shapovalov on this surface, which should hold him in good stead in the longer rallies.

Shapovalov will need to find a way to keep the points short and not engage in grueling baseline exchanges with Ruud, who will fancy his chances the longer the match progresses.

Prediction: Casper Ruud to win in three sets.