Hamburg European Open 2022: Diego Schwartzman vs Emil Ruusuvuori preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Diego Schwartzman vs Emil Ruusuvuori
Date: July 18, 2022
Tournament: Hamburg European Open
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Venue: Hamburg, Germany
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Clay
Prize money: €1,770,865
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Diego Schwartzman vs Emil Ruusuvuori preview
Third seed Diego Schwartzman will square off against Emil Ruusuvuori in the first round of the Hamburg European Open. He's had a rollercoaster of a season so far, with 26 wins from 40 matches and runners-up finishes at the Argentina Open and Rio Open.
The 29-year-old had a dismaying run on grass, making early exits at the Eastbourne International, Queen's Club Championships and Wimbledon. At SW19, he was up two sets to one against Liam Broady in the second round but was outlasted by the Brit in a five-set thriller.
While Schwartzman followed it up with a dedicated performance against Elias Ymer in the Round of 16 at the Nordea Open, he couldn't lay a glove on Pablo Carreno Busta in the quarterfinals, losing 6-1, 6-0.
After failing to impress in seven tournaments since making the semifinals at the Barcelona Open in April, he'll be eager to make a significant impact in Hamburg.
@tennistv)OUCH 🤕
Pablo Carreno Busta inflicts a 6-1 6-0 defeat to Diego Schwartzman to rush into Bastad last 4
(🎥 @tennistv) https://t.co/GdPhcMELKc
Emil Ruusuvuori, on the other hand, has had a decent season, with 21 wins out of 40 matches and a second-place finish at the ATP 250 Maharashtra Open in Pune. He also made the quarterfinals at the Munich Open and Queen's Club Championships.
The 23-year-old got off to a good start at Wimbledon with a four-set win over Yoshihito Nishioka but couldn't get the better of Botic Van De Zandschulp in the Round of 64. He won the first set against the Dutchman but squandered the lead, going down 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.
The misery continued for Ruusuvuori as he succumbed to former World No. 3 Dominic Thiem in the first round of the Nordea Open. He once again failed to capitalize after winning the opening set, handing the Austrian his first victory in 426 days.
Yesterday's best ball was a duel between Thiem and Ruusuvuori which ended with a backhand rocker from the Austrian💙 https://t.co/G7oPItgLop
Diego Schwartzman vs Emil Ruusuvuori head-to-head
Schwartzman leads the head-to-head 1-0 against Ruusuvuori. He defeated the World No. 43 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 at the 2022 Indian Wells Masters.
Diego Schwartzman vs Emil Ruusuvuori odds
All odds are sourced by BetMGM.
Diego Schwartzman vs Emil Ruusuvuori prediction
While both players haven't been in the best of form lately, the tie will be titled towards Schwartzman considering his results on clay this season and his experience over the years.
His game is centered around being a baseliner, but more importantly, he is a brilliant counter-puncher and possesses the ability to convert a defensive position into an offensive one. The Argentine will need to maintain his focus against Ruusuvuori, who also relishes a baseline battle and times the ball equally well.
The Finn has picked up wins over quality opponents such as David Goffin, Maxime Cressy and Alexander Bublik this season and has the potential to give Schwartzman a tough time at the Am Rothenbaum Tennis Center. He'll also be eager to bounce back from his tough loss to Dominic Thiem.
Schwartzman has been quite inconsistent this season but has played his best tennis on clay, a surface he's been more successful on than others - with a 58 per cent win ratio. While Ruusuvuori will present a stern challenge to the World No. 14, Schwartzman should come out on top and move to the next round.
Pick: Schwartzman to win in three sets.