Day nine at Roland-Garros marks the conclusion of the fourth round, with just 12 remaining out of the initial 128 players.
Things are starting to heat up, as the remaining contenders tough it out for their spot in the quarterfinals. Two of these are Casper Ruud and Taylor Fritz, who face off on Monday, 3 June.
Ruud has been in great form on clay this season. Fresh off titles in Geneva and Barcelona, he has maintained a solid 35-9 win-loss record in 2024. However, the French Open campaign hasn’t been a walk in the park for the world No. 7.
He faced Felipe Meligeni Alves in the first round and defeated him in straight sets. In the second round, he defeated Alejandro Davidovic Fokina in a nail-biting five-setter to earn his spot in the third round, where he ousted Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2.
World No. 12, Fritz, also had quite a rollercoaster run in the Roland Garros.
He won his first round against Federico Coria and defeated Dusan Lajovic in the second. He dropped a set in both of these matches until his five-setter against Thanasi Kokkinakis, which lasted for three hours and forty-eight minutes.
Who prevails in this clash? Read on for our Ruud vs Fritz prediction and betting tips.
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How the Bookies View It: Ruud the Favourite
Bookmaker bet365 is inclined towards Ruud in this encounter, making him the favourite at 2/5 to his win. Fritz, on the other hand, is sitting at 2/1. Set betting suggests a straight sets victory for Ruud 3-0, with this result paying 12/5.
Recent Head-to-Head: Advantage Ruud
This fourth-round encounter is going to be the second time Ruud and Fritz face each other. Their last encounter was in the Nitto ATP Finals in 2022, where Ruud won 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(6). However, this is going to be their first time playing together on clay.
Anything Else Catch the Eye?
Ruud is one of the top clay-court players on the ATP tour currently.
The Norwegian's powerful forehand and the use of the kick serve as a first-serve rather than a second-serve option on the red dirt make him formidable on the surface. Ruud's victory in Barcelona was his first above the ATP 250 level. He also advanced to the Monte-Carlo final but lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Taylor Fritz's performance on the red dirt has improved significantly.
His best performance of the season came in Munich when he reached the final but lost to Jan-Lennard Struff. He also had excellent runs at the Madrid Open (semi-final) and the Italian Open (quarter-final). He lost against Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev on both occasions.
Fritz wins matches primarily on his serves.
As an American who plays heavily on hard courts, he frequently uses serve and volley tactics. However, his baseline abilities and groundstrokes let him participate in longer rallies and force mistakes on his opponent.
Ruud vs Fritz Betting Tips & Predictions
Both players had exhausting four- and five-set matches in the previous rounds. So, the player who recovers best will be set up here. Considering his clay-court experience, Ruud is more likely to win this match.
- Ruud to win 3-1 @ 11/4
- Total sets over 3.5 @ 4/7
Ruud and Fritz will play on Court Suzanne Lenglen on Monday. While you wait, make sure to check out our overall men’s singles predictions for the French Open 2024.
Bren is our resident Kiwi, and has been playing or watching sports down under in New Zealand for the better part of three decades. With 12+ years experience as a professional writer, Bren loves to dive deep into all things sport to bring the best betting analysis and predictions here at Mr Fixits Tips.
