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Match details
Fixture: (3) Casper Ruud vs Dennis Novak
Date: 21 July 2021
Tournament: Swiss Open Gstaad 2021
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Gstaad, Switzerland
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Clay
Prize money: €481,270
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel
Casper Ruud vs Dennis Novak preview
Third seed Casper Ruud will take on Austria's Dennis Novak in the second round of the 2021 Swiss Open on Wednesday.
With solid performances throughout the season, Ruud has bolstered his reputation as one of the best claycourters on tour. The Norwegian enters Gstaad with a 22-5 win-loss record on the surface. He has also picked up titles in Geneva and Bastad.
Ruud has already racked up wins over the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas, Denis Shapovalov, Diego Schwartzman, and Pablo Carreno Busta on clay this year.
Dennis Novak, meanwhile, has had an underwhelming season. The Austrian's best result this year was a quarterfinal run in Marseille. He then failed to pick up a single main draw win during the claycourt swing.
Novak did, however, manage a third-round finish in Bastad last week to take a much-needed shot of confidence ahead of his campaign in Gstaad.
The 27-year-old defeated lucky loser Kacper Zuk in straight sets in the first round in the Swiss city to set up a meeting with Ruud.
Casper Ruud vs Dennis Novak head-to-head
The second-round encounter in Gstaad will be the first match between Casper Ruud and Dennis Novak, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Casper Ruud vs Dennis Novak prediction
Casper Ruud is the overwhelming favorite in this contest. The Norwegian's game is perfectly suited to slower surfaces and he comes into the tournament in red-hot form, having lifted the title in Bastad.
Ruud uses his powerful forehand to dictate play from the baseline. His serve has improved over the last couple of seasons and earns the Norwegian plenty of cheap points. The 22-year-old has also become a lot more aggressive during return games and looks to put pressure on his opponents by attacking their second serve.
Novak, on his part, will need to find a way to prolong the rallies and frustrate Ruud into making errors. The Austrian's movement is his biggest asset but he lacks a potent weapon with which he can finish off points.
If Ruud can maintain a decent level for most of the match, he should be able to come away with a comfortable win.
Prediction: Casper Ruud to win in straight sets.
