2021 Paris Masters Second Round – Casper Ruud vs Alexander Bublik Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Casper Ruud vs Alexander Bublik on and what time does it start? Casper Ruud vs Alexander Bublik will take place on Tuesday 2nd November, 2021 – not before 19:50 (UK)
Where is Casper Ruud vs Alexander Bublik taking place? Casper Ruud vs Alexander Bublik will take place at the Accor Arena in Paris, France
What surface is Casper Ruud vs Alexander Bublik being played on? Casper Ruud vs Alexander Bublik will take place on an indoor hard court
Where can I get tickets for Casper Ruud vs Alexander Bublik? Visit this link for the latest ticket information for Casper Ruud vs Alexander Bublik
What channel is Casper Ruud vs Alexander Bublik on? Casper Ruud vs Alexander Bublik will be televised on the Amazon Prime Video app on smart TVs
Where can I stream Casper Ruud vs Alexander Bublik? Amazon Prime subscribers can stream Casper Ruud vs Alexander Bublik live via their platform. Subscribers of Tennis TV can also stream the match live
THE PREDICTION
World number 36 Alexander Bublik brought the Paris crowd around to his side in an intense three-set encounter with Dan Evans on Monday, gambling his way through the second round via almost as many double faults as aces. The enigmatic but charismatic Kazakh can only get away with his first-serve-or-bust style for so long but when he is forced into a rally he clearly has the game available to tackle most people on tour. World number eight Casper Ruud desperately needs the win here as he battles for the last remaining ATP Finals spots with Cam Norrie and Felix Auger-Aliassime, and to an extent Jannik Sinner although both are currently set to qualify. The Norwegian has been exceptional this year at ATP 250 level, winning five titles including three in a row on clay over the summer, but he has been found wanting at Grand Slams and in the latter stages of Masters events.
22-year-old Casper Ruud has proved himself more than just a clay court specialist by winning the San Diego Open last month via solid wins over Andy Murray, Lorenzo Sonego, Grigor Dimitrov and an out-of-sorts Cam Norrie. The slow indoor conditions in Paris should suit him well early-on but hard-hitters like Alexander Bublik are also comfortable here and they are the kinds of players who can occasionally overpower him. In the same way that meeting the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev or Matteo Berrettini here is unlikely to favour Ruud, an in-form and firing Bublik could definitely get the better of him here. It is impossible to predict where and when that version of Bublik will appear, though, so taking Ruud to win outright is the reasonable move.
