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Match details
Fixture: (6) Casper Ruud vs Dusan Lajovic
Date: 12 August 2021
Tournament: 2021 National Bank Open
Round: Third round (Round of 16)
Venue: Aviva Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $2,850,975
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Voot
Casper Ruud vs Dusan Lajovic preview
Sixth seed Casper Ruud will look to continue his fine form when he takes on Serbia's Dusan Lajovic in the third round of the 2021 National Bank Open in Toronto on Thursday.
Ruud is in the form of his life. The 22-year-old won three successive ATP 250 events on clay in Bastad, Gstaad, and Kitzbuhel, to rise to a career-high ranking of World No. 12.
The Norwegian has carried that form into Toronto, where he battled past Marin Cilic in his opener.
Lajovic, on the other hand, has had a rather mediocre season. The Serb has a dismal win-loss record of 12-19 and has failed to make an impression on hardcourts this year. He arrived in Toronto on the back of a quarter-final finish in Hamburg, where he was defeated by eventual champion Pablo Carreno Busta.
The Serb defeated Emil Ruusuvuori in three sets in his Toronto opener, before taking out ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets to set up a third-round meeting with Ruud.
Casper Ruud vs Dusan Lajovic head-to-head
The third-round encounter in Toronto will be the second match between the two players, with Casper Ruud leading the head-to-head 1-0.
Ruud defeated Lajovic in straight sets in the quarterfinals at Buenos Aires in 2020.
Casper Ruud vs Dusan Lajovic prediction
Casper Ruud may be the overwhelming favorite on the basis of current form, but the Norwegian still needs to prove himself on surfaces other than clay.
The 22-year-old is an aggressive baseliner who uses his heavy top-spin forehand to do most of the damage. His game is best-suited to slower surfaces, but he does have the ability to succeed on quicker surfaces as well. The Norwegian's return of serve has improved significantly over the past year, and will play an important role in Toronto.
Lajovic, on his part, will need to stay consistent from the back of the court. He does not have the power to go toe-to-toe with Ruud from the baseline, so he will need to mix things up and keep the Norwegian guessing.
But Ruud has been in red-hot form of late and should have far too much firepower for Lajovic to deal with.
Prediction: Casper Ruud to win in three sets.
