Bastad 2022: Emil Ruusuvuori vs Dominic Thiem preview, head-to-head, odds & prediction | Nordea Open
Match Details
Fixture: Emil Ruusuvuori vs Dominic Thiem
Date: 11 July, 2022
Tournament: Nordea Open 2022
Round: First round
Venue: Bastad, Sweden
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Clay
Prize money: €534,555
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel
Emil Ruusuvuori vs Dominic Thiem preview
Emil Ruusuvuori will take on Dominic Thiem in the first round of the Nordea Open on Monday.
Ruusuvuori has had a mediocre season so far, winning 21 out of 38 matches and finishing as the runner-up at the ATP 250 Maharashtra Open, which was his stand-out performance. He has looked in decent touch in the last few months, making the quarterfinals of the Munich Open and most recently the Queen's Club Championship.
The 23-year-old couldn't follow up his grasscourt preparations with a successful run at Wimbledon though. He got the better of Yoshihito Nishioka in the opening round but bowed out to World No. 25 Botic van de Zandschulp 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 in the Round of 64 in London. The tennis pro from Finland will be looking to add some flair to his season and be more prolific in the upcoming tournaments.
Dominic Thiem, on the other hand, was on the sidelines for nine months after suffering an ill-fated wrist injury at the 2021 Mallorca Championships. He joined the tour at the Marbella Tennis Challenger in March and has struggled to emulate his top form since his return.
The 2020 US Open champion is yet to win a match on the main tour after upsetting first-round losses at the Madrid Masters, Rome Masters, Geneva Open and the claycourt Major in Paris.
However, the Austrian showed positive signs recently after snapping his 11-match losing streak with a straight-sets victory over Filip Misolic 6-4, 7-5 at the Salzburg Challenger. He bowed out fighting seventh seed Facundo Bagnis in the second round and will feature at the Nordea Open next.
Emil Ruusuvuori vs Dominic Thiem head-to-head
Ruusuvuori leads the head-to-head against Thiem 1-0. He defeated the Austrian 6-3, 6-2 at the 2019 Davis Cup.
Emil Ruusuvuori vs Dominic Thiem odds
All odds are sourced by BetMGM.
Emil Ruusuvuori vs Dominic Thiem prediction
Ruusuvuori will be the favorite heading into this contest. He's won seven out of his last 12 matches and is playing at a much higher level than Thiem at the moment.
The Finn has a powerful baseline game and the ability to time the ball extremely well off both wings. His heavy top-spin serve gives him an added advantage in controlling points from the get-go.
Meanwhile, Thiem has every chance of causing an upset in this first-round battle. Clay has always been one of his favored surfaces and he'll be looking to put up a strong performance. The Austrian, known for his explosive groundstrokes, has a 70 per cent win ratio on the red dirt compared to Ruusuvuori's 38 per cent. Injuries have hampered Thiem's abilities in recent matches, but he's been working to get back to his best.
Considering their playing style, Thiem should be able to outplay Ruusuvuori. If the Austrian begins well and manages to play at a high level for most of the match, he should be able to register his second win of the season and progress to the second round in Sweden.
Pick: Thiem to win in three sets.