Paris Olympics 2024: Casper Ruud vs Taro Daniel preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (6) Casper Ruud vs Taro Daniel
Date: July 28, 2024
Tournament: Paris Olympics 2024
Round: First Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France
Category: Olympics
Surface: Clay
Live Telecast: USA - NBC, Peacock | UK - Eurosport, Discovery+, BBC iPlayer | Canada - CBC Gem, Radio Canada, Tou.tv | India - JioCinema, Sports18
Casper Ruud vs Taro Daniel preview
Norway's Casper Ruud will lock horns with Japan's Taro Daniel in the first round of the Paris Olympics 2024.
Ruud remained unbeaten at the United Cup, though Norway's campaign concluded in the quarterfinals. He then lost to Cameron Norrie in the third round of the Australian Open. He next made back-to-back finals in Los Cabos and Acapulco but lost to Jordan Thompson and Alex de Minaur respectively.
Ruud's time on hardcourts came to an end with a quarterfinal run at Indian Wells and a fourth-round finish in Miami. He started the clay swing with a semifinal in Estoril, and then reached his third final of the year at the Monte-Carlo Masters, losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Ruud captured the biggest title of his career at the Barcelona Open, beating Tsitsipas in a rematch of the previous week's final. After early exits from Madrid and Rome, he clinched his second title of the year at the Geneva Open.
The Norwegian reached the semifinals of the French Open this time after runner-up finishes the last couple of years. He lost in the second round of Wimbledon, and the second round of the Swedish Open after that. He will now be making his debut at the Olympics.
Daniel reached the final in Auckland at the start of the season and has tallied only four more wins since then. Following his second-round exit from the Madrid Open, he hasn't been past the first round of any tournament.
Casper Ruud vs Taro Daniel head-to-head
Daniel leads Ruud 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the Mexican Open 2023 in three sets.
Casper Ruud vs Taro Daniel odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Casper Ruud vs Taro Daniel prediction
Ruud has performed at a high level for most of the season but his most recent loss to Thiago Monteiro at the Swedish Open was concerning. He played a little too passively at times and made questionable tactical choices throughout the match. If he doesn't step up his game, then his Olympic dream could come crashing down in an instant.
However, Daniel's form has been nothing to boast about either. He's currently on a seven-match losing streak as well. Even though he managed to upset Ruud the last time they crossed paths, he will find it quite tough to do the same on clay.
Daniel has only a couple of wins on the red dirt this year, while Ruud has a 21-6 record on the surface. Given their results this season, the Norwegian will be favored to advance further.
Pick: Casper Ruud to win in straight sets.