Italian Open 2022: Novak Djokovic vs Casper Ruud preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Novak Djokovic vs (5) Casper Ruud
Date: 14 May 2022.
Tournament: Italian Open 2022.
Round: Semifinal.
Venue: Rome, Italy.
Category: ATP Masters 1000.
Surface: Clay.
Prize money: €5,415,410.
Match Timing: Not before 7.30 pm local time, 5.30 pm GMT, 11 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Voot & Sports 18.
Novak Djokovic vs Casper Ruud preview
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will take on fifth seed Casper Ruud in the semifinals of the Italian Open on Saturday. The Serb won a tough match against Felix Auger-Aliassime to move to the semifinals in Rome for the ninth straight time.
Djokovic had a turbulent start to the season and missed a number of tournaments due to his vaccine status. He was unable to defend his Slam title Down Under or participate in the Sunshine Double.
Djokovic's first tournament in 2022 was the Dubai Tennis Championships, where he reached the quarterfinals before losing to Jiri Vesely. After a second-round exit from Monte-Carlo, the 34-year-old reached the final of the Serbia Open, where he lost to Andrey Rublev in three sets.
He then reached the semifinals of the Madrid Open before losing a thrilling three-set contest to Carlos Alcaraz.
The Serb is the top seed at the Italian Open and started off by beating Aslan Karatsev 6-3, 6-2. He followed this up by defeating Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-2. In the quarterfinals, Djokovic downed Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-5, 7-6(1).
Rome semi-finals for Djokovic 
1️⃣3️⃣ Rome semi-finals for Djokovic 🙌
He holds off Auger-Aliassime in an epic 7-5 7-6(1) battle.
@DjokerNole | @InteBNLdItalia | #IBI22 https://t.co/eMiagabhQb
Ruud, meanwhile, has won 20 out of 28 matches this season, with one title to his name. The Norwegian won the Argentina Open by beating Diego Schwartzman in the final.
After exiting the Indian Wells Masters in the third round, Ruud reached his first Masters 1000 final in Miami with wins over Alexander Zverev and Francisco Cerundolo in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively. However, he was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz in the title clash.
Ruud reached the last 16 of the Monte-Carlo Masters but lost to Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets. The Norwegian then made it to the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open and had three match points against Pablo Carreno Busta. However, the Spaniard saved them all and beat the Norwegian 4-6, 7-6(8), 6-3.
Ruud also reached the quarterfinals of the BMW Open in Munich before losing to Botic van de Zandschulp. After suffering a disappointing second-round defeat in Madrid, the 23-year-old travelled to Rome as the fifth seed.
He started by beating Van de Zandschulp after being a set down. Ruud then beat Jenson Brooksby to seal his place in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open. He beat Denis Shapovalov 7-6(7), 7-5 to reach his second Masters 1000 semifinal of 2022.
First set: Saves set point
🎾 First set: Saves set point
🎾 Second set: Saves set point
CLUTCH tennis from Ruud to defeat Shapovalov 7-6(7) 7-5 👏
@CasperRuud98 | @InteBNLdItalia | #IBI22 https://t.co/dEwZIMCoZL
Novak Djokovic vs Casper Ruud head-to-head
This will be the third meeting between Djokovic and Ruud, with the Serb having won their previous two matches, so their head-to-head is 2-0. The first of these took place in the semifinals of the 2020 Italian Open, with Djokovic winning 7-5, 6-3.
He beat the Norwegian 7-6(4), 6-2 when they locked horns in the ATP Finals in Turin last year.
The winner of the match will take on either Alexander Zverev or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final of the Italian Open.
Novak Djokovic vs Casper Ruud odds
All Odds sourced from Oddschecker.
Novak Djokovic vs Casper Ruud prediction
Djokovic will enter the match as the favorite, given his good run of form in Rome. However, Ruud should not be written off given his quality on clay. The Norwegian has won 39 out of 48 matches on the surface since the start of 2021 and while the 23-year-old did not fare well in Monte-Carlo and Madrid, he still has a record of 11-4 and a title on clay this season.
Djokovic appears to be closing in on his best tennis after getting a taste of regular action in the claycourt season. The Serb's solid baseline game and court coverage are major weapons in his arsenal, as are his return of serve and versatility.
Ruud, on the other hand, will try to use his powerful forehand to dictate play from the baseline. The Norwegian's defensive skills will also be tested by Djokovic's ability to mix things up.
The match promises to be an exciting affair and while Djokovic looks in good nick at the moment, Ruud will fancy his chances of outlasting the Serb and advancing to the final in Rome.
Pick: Ruud to win in three sets.