Cincinnati Open: Casper Ruud vs. Reilly Opelka 8/18/21 Tennis Prediction

Eighth seeded Norwegian Casper Ruud faces Reilly Opelka of the United States in the Second Round of the 2021 Cincinnati Open. The match is scheduled to take place on Wednesday August 18th, 2021 at approximately 1:00pm EST.

Two of the most in-form players on the ATP Tour in Casper Ruud and Reilly Opelka do battle for a spot in the Round of 16 here at the 2021 Cincinnati Open. Both men have been outstanding over the past few weeks and are very high in confidence at the moment. There are two totally different game styles on display here but one thing is for sure, this match will definitely be very exciting. Who will get the win and advance here?

Casper Ruud is at a career high ranking of #11 at the moment and is the eighth seed here at the 2021 Cincinnati Open. The Norwegian star has been in breathtaking form over the past few weeks, winning three consecutive titles and reaching the Quarter-Finals last week at the Rogers Cup. He has been playing great tennis since the start of the year and it is only a matter of time before he breaks into the top 10 of the world rankings. His aggressive baseline game is effective on all surfaces, and his elite movement and consistency make him a huge threat here. He is the slight favorite here against Reilly Opelka but it will likely come down to how the American serves, and how Ruud is able to return.

Reilly Opelka is unseeded here at the 2021 Cincinnati Open and is ranked a career-high #23 in the ATP Tour. The American started the year poorly but has recently turned it around, surprisingly reaching his first ever Masters-1000 Final last week at the Rogers Cup. The huge serving American stunned Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Semi-Final before losing to Daniil Medvedev in the Final. He will be full of confidence after that result but one must wonder if fatigue will be a factor as he looked a bit flat in his opening round win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The formula here is simple, if he serves well then he is in with a great chance, but Casper Ruud is one of the best returners around so Opelka is in for a tough time here.

This is the second time the two players have faced each other on the ATP Tour with Casper Ruud winning their only meeting four years ago. Even though they are vastly different players now, I expect the same result. This match surely will be close, but I think that the Norwegian is just a bit better and is a lot fresher and fitter than his opponent. If Opelka serves well I can see him possibly snatching a tiebreaker, but I think that Ruud will be able to get a break or two and should be able to squeeze through here. Casper Ruud in three sets, advancing to the Round of 16 here at the Cincinnati Open.