Hong Kong Open 2024: Karen Khachanov vs Emil Ruusuvuori preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Karen Khachanov vs Emil Ruusuvuori
Date: January 3, 2024
Tournament: Hong Kong Open 2024
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Victoria Tennis Park Stadium, Hong Kong, China
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Outdoor hard
Prize money: $661,585
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN
Karen Khachanov vs Emil Ruusuvuori preview
After a first-round bye, second seed Karen Khachanov will face off against Emil Ruusuvuori in the second round of the 2024 Hong Kong Open.
Khachanov had one of the best seasons of his career in 2023. He enjoyed plenty of success Down Under in January, as he made a couple of quarterfinals in the two warm-up tournaments in Adelaide. He then made it to the semifinals of the Australian Open after that.
Khachanov also made the last four in Miami, following which he did well during the clay swing too. He capped off his time on the red dirt with a quarterfinal finish at the French Open. An injury kept him out of action for a while and he lost in the first round of the US Open upon his return.
Khachanov won then his first title in five years at the Zhuhai Championships. He concluded the season with quarterfinal appearances at the Vienna Open, the Paris Masters, and the Moselle Open.
Ruusuvuori kicked off his campaign in Hong Kong against Benjamin Bonzi. The former overcame a 3-0 deficit in the first set but came up short in the eventual tie-break to lose the set.
Ruusuvuori raised his level going forward and dominated the next couple of sets. He dropped just three games after losing the first set to score a 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-1 comeback win.
Karen Khachanov vs Emil Ruusuvuori head-to-head
Khachanov leads Ruusuvuori 2-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2022 Qatar Open in straight sets.
Karen Khachanov vs Emil Ruusuvuori odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Karen Khachanov vs Emil Ruusuvuori prediction
Ruusuvuori regrouped quite well to defeat Bonzi after losing a close first set. He fired 31 winners in total and committed 29 unforced errors. He went 8/25 on break points and won 65% of his first serve points.
Khachanov will be eyeing a similarly strong start to his new season, just like he did last year. His winning record against Ruusuvuori gives him an edge in this contest as well. He won both of their prior matches in straight sets.
Khachanov has a clear edge when it comes to the serve, as Ruusuvuori is no match for him in that department. The Russian has a bit more firepower in his groundstrokes as well.
Ruusuvuori will need to alter his game plan and play his best if he wants to score his first win over Khachanov. However, the former's poor record against top 20 opposition, he's 10-23 against them, makes the Russian the clear favorite in this match.
Pick: Karen Khachanov to win in straight sets.