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Match details
Fixture: (3) Casper Ruud vs Hugo Gaston
Date: 25 July 2021
Tournament: Swiss Open Gstaad 2021
Round: Final
Venue: Gstaad, Switzerland
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Clay
Prize money: €481,270
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel
Casper Ruud vs Hugo Gaston preview
Casper Ruud and Hugo Gaston will contest the final of the 2021 Swiss Open in Gstaad on Sunday. While Ruud has powered his way through to a second straight tour final, Gaston has upset all odds to make his first-ever ATP summit clash.
Ruud, who won the title in Bastad a few days ago, beat Vit Kopriva 6-3, 6-0 in his semifinal on Saturday. The 22-year-old will aim to make it three claycourt titles in 2021, having triumphed in Geneva a few months ago.
Kopriva broke Ruud's serve in the first game of the match, but ended up falling away rather quickly.
Ruud has now won all six of the matches he has played during this European clay swing. The World No. 14 has lost only one set during this period, which was against Benoit Paire two days ago.
Ruud broke Kopriva's serve five times during the semifinal and won a whopping 73% of his service points. Perhaps even more impressively, the Norwegian has been broken only twice so far in Gstaad.
Hugo Gaston, on the other had, has had a far tougher journey. The 20-year-old struggled for a long time after making the fourth round at Roland Garros last year, but he has managed to turn things around spectacularly this week.
Gaston has knocked out four extremely proficient dirtballers in Gstaad - Juan Manuel Cerundolo, Federico Delbonis, Cristian Garin and Laslo Djere. The Frenchman is the youngest finalist in Gstaad since a then 20-year-old Richard Gasquet made the summit clash back in 2006.
Casper Ruud vs Hugo Gaston head-to-head
Casper Ruud and Hugo Gaston will be playing each other for the first time on tour on Sunday, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Casper Ruud vs Hugo Gaston prediction
While Hugo Gaston's game is a little limited, it has proven to be very effective on the claycourts of Gstaad this week. Gaston loves using his wide lefty serve to open up the court, and his signature drop shot has left many an opponent scrambling in vain.
The Frenchman is also a dogged defender, which makes it difficult for players to hit through him consistently.
Casper Ruud, however, is a much more versatile player than anyone Gaston has faced so far in the tournament. The Norwegian is rock solid in all aspects, but is particularly strong with his forehand.
That said, Gaston's drop shots could throw Ruud off his rhythm from the baseline. It is imperative for the World No. 14 to keep changing direction and attacking Gaston's forehand, which he is experienced enough to recognize.
Prediction: Casper Ruud to win in straight sets.
