Stockholm Open 2024: Casper Ruud vs Lorenzo Sonego preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Casper Ruud vs Lorenzo Sonego
Date: 16 October, 2024
Tournament: Stockholm Open 2024
Round: Second Round (Round of 16)
Venue: Kungliga Tennishallen, Stockholm, Sweden
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Hard-court (Indoor)
Prize Money: €690,135
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN | India - Tennis TV
Casper Ruud vs Lorenzo Sonego preview
Second seed Casper Ruud is set to kick off his 2024 Stockholm Open campaign against World No. 50 Lorenzo Sonego in a highly anticipated second-round clash on Wednesday, October 16.
Ruud has found most of his success on clay this season, highlighted by his victory at the Barcelona Open, where he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas for his biggest career title. He also claimed the Geneva Open title, beating Tomas Machac. In addition, Ruud reached the finals in Los Cabos, Acapulco, and the Monte-Carlo Masters. His best Grand Slam performance this year was a semifinal run at the French Open, though he failed to progress beyond the fourth round in the other three Majors.
Ruud entered Stockholm after back-to-back first-round exits in Tokyo and Shanghai, where he was upset by Australians Jordan Thompson and Aleksandar Vukic, respectively.
Sonego, meanwhile, has struggled for consistency this season, posting a 19-25 record on tour. His standout performance came in Winston-Salem, where he claimed his fourth career title by defeating American rising star Alex Michelsen. Beyond that, his best showings were quarterfinal runs in Morocco and Croatia.
Sonego's most recent appearance was at the Shanghai Masters, where he lost in the first round to Denis Shapovalov. He began his Stockholm Open campaign this week with a hard-fought 7-6(1), 7-5 victory over Swiss qualifier Marc-Andrea Husler.
Casper Ruud vs Lorenzo Sonego head-to-head
Casper Ruud holds a commanding 4-0 lead in his head-to-head matchups with Lorenzo Sonego. Their most recent meeting was a five-set thriller at the 2022 French Open, where Ruud triumphed 6-2, 6-7(3), 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Casper Ruud vs Lorenzo Sonego odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Casper Ruud vs Lorenzo Sonego prediction
Casper Ruud enters the Stockholm Open following a disappointing run lately. His last win came at the US Open, and he has since struggled with consistency on hardcourts, appearing lackluster from the baseline while simultaneously battling a dip in confidence.
Lorenzo Sonego has also faced challenges since his title victory in Winston-Salem, managing just one win in five attempts. Although he looked solid in his Stockholm opener this week, his backhand and net play remain areas for improvement.
Ruud holds a dominant record against Sonego, having won all their previous encounters, including two decisive victories on hardcourts. However, Ruud's recent form is not as strong, and with Sonego showing signs of improvement, the outcome of this clash could be different.
Both players will be keen for a deep run in Stockholm, especially Ruud, who has his sights set on qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals. Despite his recent struggles, the Norwegian remains the favorite, thanks to his superior season and past success against Sonego.
Pick: Ruud to win in three sets.