US Open 2020: Casper Ruud vs Matteo Berrettini preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Matteo Berrettini vs Casper Ruud

Date: 5 September 2020

Tournament: US Open 2020

Round: Third round (Round of 32)

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $39,024,000

Match timing: 1 pm EDT, 10.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

Matteo Berrettini vs Casper Ruud preview

After a slow start to the season in Melbourne, World No. 8 Matteo Berrettini finally seems to have turned things around for himself at the 2020 US Open.

Seeded sixth at the tournament, Berrettini has scored solid wins over a couple.of tough opponents and has safely made it through to the third round. The big elements of the Italian's game - his forehand and serve - seem to be working well at the moment.

That would have come as a sigh of relief for Berrettini fans, as he is now set to face another tricky opponent in the form of Norway's No. 1 player, Casper Ruud.

Casper Ruud will be looking to make his maiden fourth-round appearance at the US Open

Ruud is having a good tournament himself, beating Mackenzie McDonald in a marathon five-set match to start off the tournament. He moved into the third round after his opponent Emil Ruusuvuori had to retire midway, but Ruud was already up two sets in that encounter.

The results here should not really come as surprise, given than the Norwegian has been playing some fine tennis for quite some time now. He had his breakthrough season last year and backed it up with a strong start in 2020, winning his first career title in February.

Ruud has made marked improvements in his game to succeed on surfaces outside clay, which still remains his strongest suit. He has powered up his serve and looks to take the initiative a lot more than be used to; that, combined with his defensive prowess, can make him a formidable opponent for anyone.

Matteo Berrettini vs Casper Ruud head-to-head

Berrettini made the semifinals at last year's tournament.

Casper Ruud leads the duo's head-to-head 1-0, having upset Matteo Berrettini at last year's French Open in straight sets.

That win in Paris, even if it came on clay - Ruud's preferred surface - was among the Norwegian's first over a top player. It was one of the things that helped set him up for bigger results later in the year.

Matteo Berrettini vs Casper Ruud prediction

As the sixth seed and a semifinalist from last year, Matteo Berrettini has a bit of a reputation to defend here. The Italian will also be looking to extract revenge for his earlier loss against Casper Ruud, and has a better shot at doing so here in New York than in Paris.

That said, there's a huge amount of pressure that comes along with all of that, and Berrettini is vulnerable when put on the back foot. Ruud will have to be aggressive throughout the match, looking to take control at the first opportunity.

A defensive strategy would simply not stand a chance against the Italian's firepower on these courts.

Prediction: Matteo Berrettini to win in five sets.