Madrid Open: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Casper Ruud - prediction, head-to-head, tournament so far

Fresh disconnected defeating different location player, defending Madrid Open champion Casper Ruud volition look 2019 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas successful Wednesday’s 4th circular for a spot successful the tournament’s quarter-finals.

Both men person played immoderate of their champion clay-court tennis successful the Spanish capital, with Tsitsipas going from spot to spot since his first-round scare, portion Ruud has dropped conscionable 5 games to proceed his winning streak astatine this Masters event.

Match preview

Tsitsipas’s tally to the 4th circular successful Madrid could person been implicit earlier it adjacent started, with the Greek prima astir exiting successful the opening circular earlier beating Patrick Kypson 3-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(4) successful 2 hours and 38 minutes.

Producing clutch tennis successful 2 tie-breaks to implicit an awesome comeback triumph has seemingly galvanised the erstwhile satellite No. 3, who has since dispatched eighth effect Alexander Bublik and Daniel Merida Aguilar, winning 6-2, 7-5 and 6-4, 6-2 respectively.

Both victories person travel without a acceptable dropped and, adjacent much impressively, without losing serve, pointing to the betterment of the 27-year-old, who volition present vie successful a Masters 1000 last-16 lucifer for the archetypal clip since reaching the past 8 successful Monte Carlo 12 months ago.

That sole statistic underlines Tsitsipas’s struggles for immoderate existent consistency implicit the past 12 to 18 months, with 2 first-round exits successful Indian Wells and Monte Carlo, the second of which has fixed him his finest results astatine this level, showing further decline.

However, 3 wins successful Madrid person improved the satellite No. 80 to 3-2 connected the ungraded this season, taking him to 100 wins connected the aboveground since 2020, and helium seeks a 101st astatine the disbursal of Ruud.

That result volition necessitate a apical showing from the erstwhile satellite No. 3 arsenic helium battles an in-form defending champion, who has hardly breached a sweat successful the Spanish superior successful 2026.

Ruud, who leads the mode for clay-court wins successful the existent decennary with 133, has claimed 8 consecutive wins astatine the Madrid Masters, dropping 1 acceptable successful that clip against Jack Draper successful past year’s final.

The Norwegian dismantled Jaume Munar 6-0, 6-1 successful the 2nd circular and got the amended of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 6-1 successful 80 minutes to widen his winning streak.

Now up to 4-1 connected clay this play and 18-6 since the commencement of past season, the erstwhile satellite No. 2 volition question different affirmative show and effect to physique momentum heading into the 2nd Grand Slam of the year.

Ruud has been earmarked arsenic 1 of the outsiders to assertion the French Open rubric with Carlos Alcaraz’s lack confirmed, but the satellite No. 15 volition not privation to look that acold up arsenic helium continues to physique affirmative momentum successful the Spanish capital.

Having defeated Tsitsipas astatine this lawsuit previously, the Norwegian No. 1 volition purpose for a repetition arsenic helium bids to scope the quarter-finals for the 3rd clip and amended his wide Madrid grounds (14-4).

Tournament truthful far

Stefanos Tsitsipas:

First round: vs. Patrick Kypson 3-6 7-6(8) 7-6(4)

Second round: vs. Alexander Bublik 6-2 7-5

Third round: vs. Daniel Merida Aguilar 6-4 6-2

Casper Ruud:

First round: Bye

Second round: vs. Jaume Munar 6-0 6-1

Third round: vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 6-1

Head To Head

Barcelona Open (2024) - Final: Ruud 7-5 6-3

Monte-Carlo Masters (2024) - Final: Tsitsipas 6-1 6-4

Los Cabos Open (2024) - Semi-final: Ruud 6-4 7-6(4)

Canada Masters (2021) - Quarter-final: Tsitsipas 6-1 6-4

Madrid Masters (2021) - Round of 16: Ruud 7-6(4) 6-4

Ruud leads Tsitsipas successful their head-to-head, but a 3-2 vantage highlights the closeness of their rivalry connected the ATP Tour.

Wednesday’s gathering volition people their 2nd clash successful Madrid aft their archetypal brushwood 5 years ago, which the Norwegian took successful 2 choky sets, and their 4th connected clay.

While Ruud leads 2-1 successful clay match-ups, those victories person travel either broadside of losing the 2024 Monte Carlo final, erstwhile helium claimed conscionable 5 games successful that rubric lucifer 2 years ago.

Notably, neither subordinate has won consecutive matches successful this rivalry arsenic they caput into their sixth tour-level brushwood this week.

We say: Ruud to triumph successful 3 sets

The humanities inclination suggests consecutive sets, but existent signifier tin substance much than aged patterns, and Ruud’s signifier successful Madrid has been excessively convincing to ignore.

Tsitsipas has capable prime to marque this highly competitive, yet Ruud’s value of changeable and enduring comfortableness connected clay should assistance him travel done successful a adjacent three-setter.