Serbia Open: Emil Ruusuvuori vs. Pablo Cuevas 4/20/21 Tennis Prediction

Emil Ruusuvuori of Finland will face Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas in the First Round of the 2021 Serbia Open. The match is scheduled to be played on Tuesday April 20th, 2021 at 7:20am EST. 

This is a very interesting First Round match between two strong players. Will it be the impressive young Finn getting the victory here? Or can the veteran Cuevas grind out the win?

Emil Ruusuvuori is ranked a career high #74 in the world and has been one of the more outstanding young players on the ATP Tour. Despite his success, he has not made as big a mark on clay as he has on the hard courts, as his powerful baseline game is not as effective on the slower surface. His strong serve and forehand have been huge weapons this year allowing him to get some big wins. He enters this match as the very slight favorite over the veteran Cuevas, but on this surface will not have much of an advantage. 

Pablo Cuevas is a former top 20 player on the ATP Tour, but is currently ranked #83. Once one of the world’s most feared players on this surface he has seen his ranking slowly decline in recent years. Despite this, he is still a dangerous opponent, capable of some strong tennis. Cuevas is an extremely smart player, and his gritty style will be sure to cause the youngster some trouble. Due to his recent record he is considered the underdog here, but there really is not much to choose between the two. 

This match has the potential to go all the way. If it was on a faster surface then Emil Ruusuvuori would be heavily favored, but on this slower surface, the tricky Cuevas has an excellent chance of winning here. The Uruguayan has bags of experience and is still capable of a big win or two. I expect this match to go to three sets and I am backing the veteran to get the win here. At this stage in his career he is probably no longer capable of deep runs in tournaments anymore, but certainly competent enough to win here.