World number 8 Rublev is 40-16 this season following an unexpected early exit from American Mackenzie McDonald at the Canadian Open in Toronto last week.
Despite the setback, the 25-year-old Russian is having a decent season, making his breakthrough at the Masters 1000 in Monte-Carlo and winning his 14th singles title in Bastad. This year, Rublev has also reached the final three times (Dubai, Banja Luka, Halle).
Rublev also reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and the fourth round at Indian Wells and Miami. The Russian is 8-5 in Cincinnati, with four of those wins coming in the 2021 tournament where he reached the final. He qualified for the third round last year.
Meanwhile, Ruusuvuori, ranked 60th in the ATP rankings, kicked off his campaign with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Corentin Moutet. In 2023, he has indicators of 22-21.
Ruusuvuori’s best results this year include a semi-final in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and a quarter-final in Miami. Last week, the Finn lost in the first round of the Canada Open.
After beating Mute, Ruusuvuori is 3-2 in Cincinnati, where he advanced to the second round last year.
Rublev won both matches with Ruusuvuori. The last time they met was in the second round of the Australian Open this year and Andrei won in four sets.
Rublev and Ruusuvuori like to dominate their opponents from deep in the pitch, but that’s where the similarities between their playing styles end.
Rublev serves well, hits the ball furiously from either flank and also moves well, while Ruusuvuori has more modest weapons. Moreover, the Russian looks preferable due to his vast experience and consistency, especially on hard court, where he has a career record of 190-106 and nine titles. Meanwhile, Ruusuvuori is just 69-53 on hard.
Rublev dominated both encounters with Ruusuvuori and that trend is set to continue as he looks to get back to winning ways soon.
Forecast: Victory of Rublev in two sets.
Vyacheslav Gorbachev/Athletistic
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I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
