US Open 2022 final: Carlos Alcaraz vs Casper Ruud preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Carlos Alcaraz vs (5) Casper Ruud.
Date: September 11, 2022.
Tournament: US Open 2022.
Round: Final.
Venue: New York, United States.
Category: Grand Slam.
Surface: Hard.
Prize money: $60,102,000.
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & ESPN2 | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Sony Liv, Sony Ten & Sony Six.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Casper Ruud preview
Teen star Carlos Alcaraz and World No. 7 Casper Ruud are set to battle it out for the 2022 US Open title on Sunday.
Alcaraz's first three wins in New York over Sebastian Baez, Federico Coria and Jenson Brooksby were quite straightforward. He was pushed to five sets by Marin Cilic and Jannik Sinner in the fourth round and the quarterfinals respectively. The teenager's hard-fought victories over them set up a semifinal showdown against Frances Tiafoe.
Neither player managed to secure a break of serve in the opening set, which then went into a tiebreak. Tiafoe edged out his opponent to come out on top. Alcaraz responded strongly by winning the next couple of sets and putting himself within striking distance of the final.
The teenager led by a break twice in the fourth set, but Tiafoe fought back each time to level the score. Alcaraz held a match point on the American's serve at 5-4, but a backhand winner from his opponent erased that opportunity, and he eventually managed to hold serve.
Another couple of holds led to another tiebreak, which was won by Tiafoe to take the match into a decider. The Spaniard snagged an early break to lead 2-0 in the final set, but the American broke back to level the score at 2-2. The teenager broke his opponent's serve yet again and held his own to put him in the lead at 4-2.
After another couple of games, Tiafoe served to stay in the match at 5-3. Alcaraz went 40-0 up and held three match points. The 24-year-old saved the first with an ace and an error from his opponent after that kept his hopes alive. However, a backhand error from the American sent the teenager into his first Major final as he won the match 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-1 6-7(5), 6-3.
What's at stake in the #USOpen final?
A first Grand Slam title and the No. 1 ranking in the world. Otherwise, not much. https://t.co/p019nfg2cU
Casper Ruud's path to the semifinals included wins over Kyle Edmund, Tim van Rijthoven, Tommy Paul, Corentin Moutet and Matteo Berrettini. He took on Karen Khachanov for a spot in the final.
The duo broke each other's serve twice in the first set, but neither managed to hold on to that advantage. Ruud then played a brilliant tiebreak to clinch the opener. The Norwegian dominated his opponent in the second set to win it quite handily.
Both players defended their serve quite well in the third set. Khachanov was able to nab the set after breaking Ruud's serve at 6-5 and kept himself in contention. However, the Russian was unable to build any sort of momentum after this.
Ruud raced to a 5-1 lead in the fourth set and within the next few minutes, won the match 7-6(5), 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 to reach his first US Open final. This will be his second Grand Slam final after finishing as the runner-up at the French Open earlier this year.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Casper Ruud head-to-head
Alcaraz leads Ruud 2-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2022 Miami Open in straight sets.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Casper Ruud odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Casper Ruud prediction
Both players have been tested en route to the final, especially Alcaraz, who has now notched up three consecutive five-set victories. The pair aren't only aiming to win their maiden Grand Slam title, but the winner will also be crowned the new World No. 1.
Alcaraz will need to find a way to be more effective. While he eventually managed to get over the finish line, he has lost a few sets from a winning position so far. Consequently, he has played quite a few marathon matches, but his endurance remains unmatched. The teenager zips around the court at the same speed from the first point to the last.
Comparatively, Ruud appears to be a step slower than Alcaraz. But the Norwegian is very consistent and doesn't give away any freebies. His steady groundstrokes and reliable serve, along with an improved attacking mindset, have reaped rich dividends in New York so far, and all that's left to do is hoist the trophy.
Alcaraz has a well-rounded game for his age. He's solid from the back of the court and isn't afraid to come forward and finish off a point. The teenager has catapulted to global stardom with his remarkable results this year, and a Major title would be yet another feather in his cap.
This one promises to be a fight to the finish. Ruud's a challenging player to overcome, but Alcaraz has been on a different level altogether this season. Expect the teenager to be crowned the champion.
Pick: Carlos Alcaraz to win in four sets.