French Open 2022: Casper Ruud vs Lorenzo Sonego preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (8) Casper Ruud vs (32) Lorenzo Sonego
Tournament: French Open 2022.
Date: 28 May, 2022.
Round: Third round (Round of 32).
Venue: Paris, France.
Category: Grand Slam.
Surface: Outdoor Clay.
Prize money: €21,256,800.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel, NBC Sports and Peacock TV | Canada - TSN | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Ten and Sony LIV.
Casper Ruud vs Lorenzo Sonego preview
Eighth seed Casper Ruud will square off against 32nd seed Lorenzo Sonego in the third round of the French Open on Saturday.
The Norwegian has won 26 out of 35 matches this season. After missing the Australian Open, Ruud won the Argentina Open by beating Diego Schwartzman in the final.
He reached his first-ever Masters 1000 final in Miami but was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets. Ruud was knocked out of the Monte-Carlo Masters in the round of 16 and then made the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open and the BMW Open.
The 23-year-old was ousted in the second round of the Madrid Open but reached the semifinals of the Italian Open before losing to Novak Djokovic.
Ruud is seeded eighth at the French Open and launched his campaign with a four-set win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the latter's last match. He then beat Emil Ruusuvuori 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the third round.
Casper Ruud wins the Nordic derby against Emil Ruusuvuori 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the 3rd round. Awaits Sousa (would be Geneva final rematch) or Sonego. https://t.co/2gntOVdoGr
Lorenzo Sonego, meanwhile, started the season by reaching the quarterfinals of the Sydney International before making it to the third round of the Australian Open. After reaching the quarterfinals of the Cordoba Open, the Italian made it to the semifinals of the Argentina Open, losing to Diego Schwartzman.
Sonego then endured early exits in Rio, Acapulco, Indian Wells and Miami. The 27-year-old was eliminated in the second round of the Monte-Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open before suffering first-round exits in Madrid and Rome.
Seeded 32nd at the French Open, the Italian beat Germany's Peter Gojowczyk in straight sets in the first round. Sonego then defeated Joao Sousa 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-4 to reach the third round of the Paris Major.
Sonego beats Sousa in 3 sets, and sets up a meeting with Casper in the next round. FHs will be hit. https://t.co/xiKnaZA7sA
Casper Ruud vs Lorenzo Sonego head-to-head
This will be the fourth meeting between the two players, with Ruud leading the head-to-head 3-0. Their first match took place in 2020 at the Italian Open, with the Norwegian winning 6-3, 6-4. He then beat Sonego in San Diego last year.
Their third meeting came in the last 16 of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, where Ruud won a tense encounter 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.
The winner of the match will take on either Hubert Hurkacz or David Goffin in the fourth round.
Casper Ruud vs Lorenzo Sonego odds
All odds sourced from Oddschecker.
Casper Ruud vs Lorenzo Sonego prediction
Ruud will enter the match as the favorite given his superior form and ranking. The Norwegian has been particularly impressive on clay, winning 45 out of 55 matches on the surface since the start of 2021. Sonego has had a disappointing season so far, winning only 12 out of 25 matches.
Ruud's strong serve and heavy forehand make him a formidable opponent on clay, not to forget his impressive defensive skills. The Norwegian has been playing a more offensive brand of tennis lately, which makes him even more dangerous.
Sonego has had some good results on clay in the past, most notably reaching the semifinals of the Italian Open last year. The 27-year-old tends to hit his groundstrokes flatter and deeper rather than relying on topspin. He also possesses a decent serve.
Ruud has never made it beyond the third round in Paris, but if he plays like he did against Ruusuvuori, expect him to bring that streak to an end.
Pick: Ruud to win in straight sets.