Sydney is joining Perth on the second day of 2024 United Cup action. Netherlands against Norway will be the first match played at the Ken Rosewall Arena. Casper Ruud is the biggest name in this tie, but the rest of the team isn’t quite as strong. With two top 60 singles players and a superb mixed doubles duo, it’s actually the Dutch who are favored to come out on top. But will they prevail?
Arantxa Rus vs Malene Helgo
Head-to-head: Rus 2-1
Malene Helgo isn’t the strong suit of Norway’s United Cup team, but how competitive will she be? She’s 0-7 against Top 100 players in her career, but her best-ever win came against exactly Arantxa Rus at the 25K ITF event in Haabneeme in 2022. The Dutchwoman won her maiden WTA Tour title last season, but she hasn’t been holding up that well on the main tour since, particularly on hard courts. Rus has long had a reputation of a player who dominates the lower circuits and can’t fully make it with the elite. She’s not the sort of threat that Helgo will be afraid of, but she’s still the favorite to win this match.
Prediction: Rus in 2
Tallon Griekspoor vs Casper Ruud
Head-to-head: Griekspoor 2-1
That’s quite a cracker so early in the competition and they actually haven’t faced each other in a while, definitely not since Tallon Griekspoor became a top player. The Australian summer usually isn’t Casper Ruud’s favorite part of the season and he was underperforming in it especially last year after taking a different course in his off-season preparations. It’s going to be different this time, but the conditions still shouldn’t suit his heavy topspin forehand game all that much. Griekspoor is a fierce competitor with a deadly peak game on his day and this just won’t be easy for the Norwegian. Ruud might also be under quite a lot of pressure here if Rus ends up delivering as the big favorite in the first rubber.
Prediction: Griekspoor in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
