World #1 Novak Djokovic begins his quest for a sixth Nitto ATP Finals title against Casper Ruud in the Day 2 afternoon session, as the Green Group gets underway in Turin. The pair have met once before, in the semifinals of the Rome Masters last year. But this will be their first hard court meeting. Casper Ruud has enjoyed the most successful season of his career and most notably managed to win his first ATP hard court title in San Diego. Can the Norweigan get the better of the World #1?
Nitto ATP Finals Day 2 Prediction
Novak Djokovic vs Casper Ruud
Head to Head: 1-0 Djokovic
Novak Djokovic heads into the finale brimming with confidence, having secured the year-end #1 ranking for a record seventh time by winning the Paris Masters in Bercy last weekend. What was particularly impressive about the run to the title in Paris was how quickly Djokovic was able top put the disappointment of losing the US Open final behind him. An interesting feature of Djokovic’s tactics during the final against Daniil Medvedev was the amount of times he decided to serve and volley, a tactic which proved hugely successful.
It will be interesting to see if Djokovic chooses to employ this tactic on a regular basis in Turin. With the court in Turin proving to relatively fast, with a Court Pace Index of around 40, it could be a strategy that yields plenty of rewards. That certainly proved the case for Daniil Medvedev, who was able to turn his Day 1 match around against Hubert Hurkacz thanks largely to being more willing to come forward after dropping the opening set.
Casper Ruud has definitely proven to his critics that he is way more than just a clay court specialist. In the San Diego final, Ruud produced one of the performances of his career to defeat Cameron Norrie for the loss of only two games. Ruud won three ATP 250 Titles back-to back after Wimbledon in Gstaad, Bastaad, and Kitzbuhel. He has established himself as one of the leading lights of our sport. Last week in Bercy, Ruud reached the quarterfinals where he lost to Alexander Zverev in two tight sets. That match perhaps highlights one of the key concerns regarding the Norwegian’s chances this week, the lack of free points he is able to win on serve. Despite the court being significantly quicker than Bercy, this limitation could be further highlighted by the fact that Ruud is playing the greatest returner the sport has ever seen.
The prediction
The key to this match will be for Ruud to hit his spots on the serve. He does not have a bad serve by any means. However, it doesn’t yield the pace or free points of the other players in the field. Djokovic will have to be prepared for the variety that Ruud has in his game. Despite both players being two of the strongest defenders in the game, I feel Djokovic has the edge in terms of movement. When you combine this with his serve and return, it is difficult not to back the World #1. I think Djokovic will get the win in straight sets.
Prediction: Djokovic in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
