Felix Auger-Aliassime faces a stiff test in Casper Ruud at the Cincinnati Open.
The pregame narrative: Auger-Aliassime hasn’t shown yet that he’s ready for the rigours of the hardcourt. A date against Ruud, who has shown well on this surface, makes it difficult to back Auger-Aliassime as the favourite. I’m backing the underdog in what should be a tough contest.
Check out our Ruud vs. Auger-Aliassime odds and best bet for their Cincinnati Open match on Aug. 15.
Ruud vs. Auger-Aliassime Cincinnati Open odds
Go to full Ruud vs. Auger-Aliassime betting markets.
Best Bet: Ruud to win (+132)
This will be the second meeting this month between Ruud and Auger-Aliassime.
These two recently met at the Olympics and Auger-Aliassime won a three-set thriller.
It marked the second time this year that Auger-Aliassime beat Ruud. Typically, that record alone should be enough to expect a similar result the third time.
But both of Auger-Aliassime’s victories over Ruud occurred on clay.
The two competitors are solid on the red dirt which makes FAA’s wins impressive, but this match is on the hardcourt and that’s a surface that certainly favours Ruud.
Auger-Aliassime has struggled on the hardcourts in 2024. He enters this match with a losing record (5-6) and hasn’t beaten anybody of note on the surface.
Ruud, the No. 8 player in the world, is no pushover on the hardcourts. He’s 19-5 this year and has beaten top competitors like Holger Rune and Stefanos Tsitsipas on the surface.
Auger-Aliassime and Ruud are fairly equal competitors but Ruud has certainly been better in pivotal moments. The Norwegian tennis star ranks eighth in under pressure rating (233.6) on this surface while Auger-Aliassime places 38th (204.0).
Expect Ruud to be the more opportune player and outlast Auger-Aliassime in what should be a close matchup.
Key stat: Ruud ranks third among all players in break points saved on the hardcourts this year (71.9%) while Auger-Aliassime sits 58th (57.8%).
Picks made at 1:04 p.m. ET on 08/15/2024.
Stevie’s an avid NFL, NHL, and tennis bettor who has no problem talking himself into the underdog. His previous stops include Yahoo! Sports Canada and Toronto Metropolitan University, where he received a degree in Sport Media.