Norwegian No. 1 Casper Ruud takes on the talented Jenson Brooksby in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open on Thursday.
The 2022 US Open runner-up did not have a great tournament prior to the Australian Open. He played in the ASB Classic in Auckland and received a huge jolt as he crashed out in the round of 16 against Laslo Djere.
The second seed began the Australian Open with a fighting win against Tomas Machac in the first round. The match ended 6-3, 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (7-5), 6-3 in favor of Ruud. He won 152 points and served 11 aces during the encounter. However, he would know that this wasn’t his best game and will look to play better in the coming rounds. A confident Jenson Brooksby could be quite a handful for Ruud.
The 22-year-old has started the season on a promising note. Like Ruud, he also competed in the ASB Classic. However, he had a much better run, reaching the semis with some fine performances. Cameron Norrie eventually ousted him in the semis.
In the Australian Open, Brooksby produced a terrific come-from-behind win against Christopher O’Connell. After losing the first set, Brooksby roared back menacingly and finished the match in four sets, winning 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. Brooksby hit 9 aces in the encounter and won 115 points.
Casper Ruud has a 1-0 lead in the head-to-head scoreline at the moment. He defeated Brooksby in the 2022 Italian Open in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.
Prediction: Casper Ruud to win in four sets.
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