Norwegian tennis star Casper Ruud takes on the Italian tennis sensation Flavio Cobolli in the SF of the 2024 Geneva Open. Although Ruud has reached the semis, he hasn’t yet displayed his A-game in this tournament. He took three sets to clinch the victory in his previous two matches. On the other hand, the 22-year-old Cobolli has looked very sharp in this tournament so far. He will enter this tournament after winning his previous three matches in Geneva. Flavio Cobolli outclassed America’s Ben Shelton in the R16.

Cobolli hasn’t won three consecutive matches in an ATP clay court tournament in 2024 before this tournament. Can he carry forward his winning momentum and bring a major setback to the Norwegian camp? Defeating Casper Ruud on this surface is not a cakewalk. He must rely heavily on Ruud’s mistakes to bring himself into a favorable position in this match. 

Casper Ruud vs Flavio Cobolli: Preview

Casper Ruud has been in red-hot form this year. He has already won a title this season and reached the finals on three occasions in his previous tournaments this year. Not only that, but the Norwegian tennis star has also made it to a QF and an SF this year. In his previous match, Ruud defeated Argentina’s Sebastian Baez by 6-3,3-6,6-4. He hit three aces and didn’t commit a single double fault in that QF match in Geneva.

Ruud won 68% of his first serve and 55% of his second serve in that match. He converted four out of his five breakpoints against Baez. Casper Ruud’s numbers from this season have been quite impressive. He has hammered a total of 202 aces and committed just 64 double faults this season so far. Ruud has won 86% of his service games and 27% of his return games this year.

His opponent from Italy has reached two QFs in his previous two tournaments this year. In his last match, Flavio Cobolli defeated Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko by 6-4,6-4 in the QF. He hist just a single ace and committed only one double fault in the entire match. His first serve win percentage was 82% but it dropped to 47% on the second serve. Cobolli successfully converted three out of his five breakpoints against Shevchenko. 

Looking at his numbers from this season, the youngster from Italy has fired 122 aces and committed 71 double faults. He has won 76% of his service games and 22% of his return games this year. It’ll be interesting to see how he approaches this game against one of the finest of the clay court surfaces.

Ruud vs Cobolli: Head-to-Head

Both of them haven’t yet crossed each other roads in the Tour. So, currently, their H2H scoreline is at 0-0. Casper Ruud has won the title twice in Geneva and he’ll be looking to grab his third this time. But his performance in this tournament can be a slight worry to all his fans. Can Flavio Cobolli capitalize on this and cause a major upset in this tournament?

Prediction: Ruud to win in two sets

The world number 7, Casper Ruud has an 11-1 record in Geneva. He is now aiming to become the first three-time champion in the history of this tournament. Ruud currently has a win-loss record of 33-10, while it’s just 15-11 for Flavio Cobolli. Cobolli loves playing on the clay courts and he has a good forehand too! But when it comes to the current form and dominance on the clay court surfaces, the number 56 from Italy is way behind Casper Ruud.

In fact, Casper Ruud possesses one of the best forehands in the men’s tour. He is also known for his powerful groundstrokes off both flanks along with great court coverage. When it comes to clay courts, Casper Ruud is surely the one to watch no matter who’s his opponent. He would definitely want to build a winning momentum before heading to Paris for the Roland Garros. So, Ruud over Cobolli in Geneva!