Paris Masters 2022: Casper Ruud vs Richard Gasquet preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Casper Ruud vs (WC) Richard Gasquet.
Date: November 1, 2022.
Tournament: Paris Masters 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 32).
Venue: Paris, France.
Category: ATP Masters 1000.
Surface: Indoor hardcourt.
Prize money: €5,415,410.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN & Sportsnet | UK - Amazon Prime.
Casper Ruud vs Richard Gasquet preview
Following a first-round bye, World No. 4 Casper Ruud will take on home favorite Richard Gasquet in the second round of the 2022 Paris Masters on Tuesday.
After a season with plenty of highs, Ruud has been going through a rough patch of late. He missed the Australian Open due to an injury, but won the Argentina Open upon his return. He later reached his maiden Masters 1000 final at the Miami Open, but lost to Carlos Alcaraz.
Ruud's clay swing picked up steam as it went on as he won his second title of the year at the Geneva Open and finished as the runner-up at the French Open. He didn't taste much success at Wimbledon, crashing out of the tournament in the second round. The Norwegian defended his title at the Swiss Open after that to lift his third trophy of the season.
Ruud's preparations for the US Open were inconsistent as he reached the semifinals in Canada but lost to Ben Shelton in the second round at Cincinnati. He still managed to make it to the title round of the season's final Grand Slam, losing to Alcaraz yet again but reaching a career-high ranking of No. 2.
Ruud resumed his season at the Korea Open, but lost to Yoshihito Nishioka in the quarterfinals. Jaume Munar defeated him in the first round of the Japan Open the following week. The World No. 4 fell to Stan Wawrinka in the opening round at last week's Swiss Indoors and has now arrived in Paris on a three-match losing streak.
Richard Gasquet was up against Alex Molcan in the first round here. The Frenchman drew first blood to go 3-1 up in the opening set, but his opponent fought back to make it 3-3.
Gasquet then claimed the next three games in a row to clinch the set. The second set was quite one-sided as the veteran raced to a 5-0 lead in no time. Molcan managed to eke out a hold of serve after that, following which the Frenchman closed out the proceedings to win 6-3, 6-1.
Casper Ruud vs Richard Gasquet head-to-head
Gasquet leads Ruud 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2018 Swedish Open in straight sets.
Casper Ruud vs Richard Gasquet odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Casper Ruud vs Richard Gasquet prediction
Gasquet played quite a good match to oust Molcan in the first round. Cheered on by a vocal home crowd, he struck 25 winners while committing 12 unforced errors. The Frenchman was very effective during the return games, winning 53% of return points in play.
Ruud arrives in Paris with hopes of finding some form before the ATP Finals. During last week's loss to Wawrinka, he played at a decent level, but was outfoxed during the important points. At his best, Gasquet has the potential to put the World No. 4 in a spot of bother.
The Frenchman's backhand is still world class and is a force to be reckoned with. His serving stats were respectable in the previous round and if he keeps it up, he could extend Ruud's losing streak.
The Norwegian has improved his game this year, but seems to have regressed slightly in recent weeks. Ruud will be keen to avoid racking up yet another loss and is likely to raise his level to get past Gasquet.
Pick: Casper Ruud to win in three sets.
Also Check Out: Casper Ruud Net Worth