Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Cincinnati match.
Casper Ruud
Casper Ruud has won 8 of his 12 matches on hard courts this season, successfully clearing the opening round in four of the five tournaments he has entered. He possesses an effective first serve, landing it 68% of the time and converting at a high rate, while averaging seven aces per match. He leads the head-to-head against Arthur Rinderknech (4-0), having won each match by a margin of at least four games.
Arthur Rinderknech
Arthur Rinderknech has endured a difficult season on hard courts, registering only two victories in 11 matches. He has been eliminated in the first round in eight of nine hard-court tournaments, including defeats to Yoshihito Nishioka and Alexis Galarneau, both ranked outside the ATP top 100. In the opening round in Cincinnati, Rinderknech did manage a 6:3, 6:3 win over Nuno Borges, but his performance included three double faults and 30 unforced errors, along with a first-serve percentage of just 60%.
Casper Ruud vs Arthur Rinderknech Prediction
This is a favourable match-up for Casper Ruud: he holds a dominant head-to-head record and Arthur Rinderknech has consistently struggled on this surface. While Casper has lost his opening match in Cincinnati in four of his five previous appearances, he appears well-positioned to end that pattern this time.
