Yosuke Watanuki vs Casper Ruud Prediction & Betting Tips - Tokyo, Japan

Prediction published on 16/10/2023, 06:47  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 16/10/2023 at 22:20 in Tennis Predictions

It's an important week for Casper Ruud as he tries to make it into the ATP Tour Finals. The second seed takes on wild card Yosuke Watanuki in the first round of the Japan Open. Ruud is the world number eight but only tenth in the Live ATP Race, two places below the final qualification spot. Ruud has only reached one quarter final in his last five tournaments. Last week saw him get to the last 16 in Shanghai before losing to Fabian Marozsan in three sets. He'd be happy with some clay court tournaments to play as that is his best surface. That's not the case though and it's all hard court events at present. Ruud's only hard court quarter final this year was in Beijing last month. If he can get past Watanuki, then his potential second round opponents are either Marcos Giron or Yoshihito Nisihioka.

Yosuke Watanuki is ranked 73rd in the latest list. That's a career high for the 25-year-old who was in 222nd position this time last year. The Japanese player took Taylor Fritz (defending champion and top seed in this tournament) to three sets in Shanghai last week. Before that, he reached the final of the Shanghai Challenger Tour event. His last big win on the ATP Tour was in Washington when beating the out-of-form Felix Auger-Aliassime. Ruud isn't always one to trust on hard courts so low stakes are advisable but he should be able to make it into round two.