The EFG Swiss Open Gstaad has resulted in the strongest final possible with the top two seeds facing off on Sunday. Roland Garros finalist Casper Ruud will take on former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini. As always, we here at LWOT will preview and predict every match. Who do you think will take the title?
ATP Gstaad Final Prediction
Casper Ruud vs Matteo Berrettini
Head-to-head: Ruud 2-2 Berrettini
Defending champion Ruud is looking for his ninth ATP title at just 23 years old though it has been his finals runs in Miami and Roland Garros that have been the proof of his improvement this season. After successfully defending his Geneva title in May, the Norwegian looks to confirm Switzerland as his happy place and win his fourth title in the country. Ruud, the top seed in Gstaad, entered the competition in the second round with a straightforward win over Jiri Lehecka. The quarterfinal clash with Jaume Munar was tougher for the 23-year-old, having to save two set points in the second but coming through in two tiebreaks. Ruud then dismantled veteran Albert Ramos-Vinolas, allowing the Spaniard just two games in the semifinals.
Berrettini has dropped out of the Top 10 despite having a strong season due to the lack of Wimbledon points, though the Italian was unable to compete anyway due to Covid. Gstaad was his first tournament in over a month and the 2018 champion did have some difficulty on the road to the final. Berrettini also started in the second round, beating the experienced Richard Gasquet in straight sets. The 26-year-old came close to being eliminated in the quarterfinals though, losing the first set 3-6 to Pedro Martinez. The Spaniard also had a 5-1 lead in the second-set tiebreak but Berrettini won six straight points to take the set. The World No. 15 has been mostly dominant since, beating Martinez 6-1 in the third and dropping just five points against Dominic Thiem.
This is an intriguing match-up and one that could very well be a slam semifinal in terms of the quality of the players. Their previous meetings have been interesting, Ruud winning two of their three clay encounters though Berrettini came out on top in their most recent meeting at Madrid last year. It’s a tough one to call but I see Ruud’s run as more convincing and he should be able to pick some holes in Berrettini’s game in the final.
Prediction: Ruud in 2
Main Photo from Getty Images
