Casper Ruud vs Alexander Shevchenko Prediction & Betting Tips - ATP Bastad Open

Prediction published on 19/07/2023, 06:51  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 19/07/2023 at 15:21 in Tennis Predictions

Top seeded Casper Ruud takes on unseeded Alexander Shevchenko in the last 16 in Bastad, Sweden. Ruud received a first round bye and will be delighted to be playing on clay again. Grass just doesn't suit him and he made an early exit at Wimbledon. He began this Swedish Open ranked fourth in the world but is down to sixth in the live rankings. A couple of wins in this tournament will see him go above Holger Rune into fifth place. If winning this match, his quarter final opponent will be an unseeded player, either Bernabe Zapata Miralles or Sebastian Offner. Ruud won this title two years ago but last year lost in the last 16 to eventual winner Francisco Cerundolo. He's won 17 of his 23 matches played on clay this year. That includes making it to the final at Roland Garros for the second successive year but lost to Novak Djokovic. 

Alexander Shevchenko was ranked 96th at the beginning of this Swedish Open after being 154th at the start of the year. His career high ranking is 84th achieved in May 2022. The Russian is also happier on clay with 15 out of 24 matches being won this year. His grass court season consisted of just a first round loss at Wimbledon to Adrian Mannarino, winning just seven games. He got back into winning ways with a first round win over Juan Martin Cerundolo, winning both sets 6-3. That win ended a run of four defeats in a row, three on clay in Challenger Tour events. He only reached the second round at Roland Garros, being beaten heavily by Lorenzo Musetti and winning just four games in three sets. Three months ago he won a clay court Challenger Tour tournament held in Madrid. We go for Ruud to win this in straight sets.