Hubert Hurkacz vs. Emil Ruusuvuori Prediction: Would Ruusuvuori Be Able to Turn Tables In This Match?

On Thursday, fifth seed Hubert Hurkacz will face World No. 43 Emil Ruusuvuori in the second round of the 2022 Erste Bank Open.

Hurkacz began his season against 2022 US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe in Vienna. The American had a few of break opportunities for a 4-3 lead in the first set but failed to convert. Aside from that, neither player reached a break point for the remainder of the set.

Hurkacz saved a number of set points and won the subsequent tie-break to take the first set. In the second set, Tiafoe increased the pace, breaking his opponent's serve twice to take a 4-0 lead. The Pole fought back, winning the next two games to make it 4-2, but it wasn't enough as he finally lost the set.

Hurkacz took an early break in the deciding game to lead 4-1. He kept an iron hold on the lead and didn't let Tiafoe back into the race. He quickly wrapped up the match, winning 7-6 (9), 3-6, 6-3.

Emil Ruusuvuori came in Vienna after reaching the semifinals of the Stockholm Open last week. In the first round, he was up against Lorenzo Sonego. He was fast out of the blocks, racing to a 4-0 lead in the first set. After that, the two remained on serve, with the 23-year-old taking the set.

At the start of the second set, the players were evenly matched. Ruusuvuori ultimately surged ahead, winning the final four games of the match 6-2, 6-3.

Their last meeting was a couple of months ago. While the match spanned three sets, Ruusuvuori was unable to break Hurkacz's serve, going 0/5 on break points. Unless he can find a means to counteract his opponent's massive serve, the outcome will be identical to their first meeting.

• Total Under 23.5 for 1.81
• Handiсap Hubert Hurkacz (-1.5) for 1.8
• Individual Total 2 Under 12.5 for 1.83