US Open winner Dominic Thiem plays Norwegian clay court specialist Casper Ruud in the third round match of the 2020 French Open with the match scheduled for Friday, October 2. The exact timing is yet to be determined. Get the live streaming options of this Dominic Thiem v Casper Ruud match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
Looking to watch the French Open live streaming online?
- For tennis fans in the UK, Europe, Australia & elsewhere go to bet365 > Tennis > Live Streaming here* to watch & bet on the ATP & WTA tennis live.
- Get all the other French Open Live Streaming Options Here
[the_ad id=”14063″]
*Geo-restrictions apply & pre-funded account needed
Dominic Thiem v Casper Ruud Head to Head
This will be the first meeting between both players on the ATP tour.
Also Read:
New Slam Champion With Eyes On Another Deep Run
Dominic Thiem in recent years has been branded as the ‘Prince of Clay’ and the obvious successor to Rafa Nadal on the clay courts in the near future.
Two French Open final losses to Nadal in 2018 and 2019, as well as defeating Nadal on the clay courts of Barcelona, Madrid and Rome are all testament to the Austrian’s skills and abilities on clay. While Thiem would have always been a force to reckon with on the Parisian clay, this time around he is also the US Open champion, which brings with it confidence and more expectation.
Taking a break after the US Open, Thiem has adjusted to the Roland Garros conditions rather well with two straight set wins. A routine win against 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic in the first round saw him set up a second round against Jack Sock.
Thiem and Sock have played some close matches in the past, but more so indoors and on hard courts and also when Sock was more accomplished and in much better form. Having fallen to outside the top 300 because of a combination of fitness and form issues, this wasn’t expect to be much of a match.
The Austrian got off to a clinical start taking the first set 6-1, and although the American was able to hang with him in the second, Thiem upped the ante when needed and took the set 6-3.
It looked like a routine win for the number three seed, when he broke early in the third, but the players split four breaks of serve and the set headed to a tie-break, with Sock increasing in confidence as well as gaining momentum.
Aggressive forehand play by Sock and net errors by Thiem saw Sock up 6-3 and with three set points in hand. However, experience and confidence prevailed and Thiem won five consecutive points to take the breaker 8-6 and win the match in straight sets, which was not without its share of anxious moments towards the end.
With clay court specialists like Stan Wawrinka and Diego Schwartzman to follow, the Austrian will be hoping for a good match against Ruud, keeping his abilities and form in mind as well.
[the_ad id=”30344″]
Ruud On An Impressive Clay Run
The Norwegian Ruud, another promising Next Gen athlete and the son of former tennis player Christian has had a solid year on clay. With a title before the pandemic at Buenos Aires and a runnerup at Chile to boot, Ruud has a lot of confidence going for and that showed as he finished a semifinalist in Rome and Hamburg.
Ruud romped home to a stunning performance, winning 6-1, 6-3, 6-1, in his opener against Japanese Yugita and was then expected to continue in the same vein in round two as well.
While Ruud got off to a convincing start winning the first set 6-1, it was only a matter of time before Paul won the second with the same scoreline and we were in for a competitive match thereafter. The players traded the third and fourth sets, before Ruud broke in the eighth game of the final set to win 6-3.
The Norwegian’s track record on clay continues to improve, but he will keep in mind the going only gets tougher here on at the French Open.
Thiem v Ruud Prediction and Tip
This will be Thiem’s most difficult opponent thus far on clay, and one who has been in good form. High on confidence from his US Open victory and solid on clay, Thiem definitely starts as a favorite, but will be well aware of what Ruud is capable of.
A good match ahead on the cards, especially on clay, and expect Thiem to prevail in four well-fought sets.
Tip: Thiem to win in four sets: 13/5 (bet365)
[the_ad id=”30513″]
The French Open 2020 will be played from September 27 to October 11. You can watch & bet on the French Open here. Get your latest premium tennis predictions here.
Be the first to comment