Casper Ruud vs. Karen Khachanov US Open Preview: Underdog Live in Semifinal
Al Bello, Quality Sport Images/Getty. Pictured: Casper Ruud and Karen Khachanov.
- Casper Ruud is favored to advance to the US Open final.
- He takes on Karen Khachanov on Friday afternoon.
- Luke Holmberg breaks down the match and offers his best bet.
Ruud vs. Khachanov Odds
| Ruud Odds | -200 |
| Khachanov Odds | +162 |
| Over/Under | 40.5 |
| Time | How to Watch | 3 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| Odds via FanDuel. For tips on watching tennis matches, click here. | |
The semifinals of the final Grand Slam of the year are here.
Casper Ruud takes on Karen Khachanov in a semifinal that few could have predicted.
Both have come through stiff competition to arrive here, and they face one more test en route to reaching the final.
Ruud is fighting not only for his second final appearance in a Slam this year, but also the world No. 1 ranking. Khachanov is showing the potential we know he has always contained and it has been amazing seeing his run of form.
Let’s dive in to the thrilling battle between two in-form players.
Ruud Showing His Hard Court Prowess
Casper Ruud was known as a clay-courter for most of his young career. He won three clay titles throughout the summer last year and reached the Roland Garros final this year, but Ruud is now imposing his game on hard courts.
The Norwegian took down Matteo Berrettini in straight sets last round out. Berrettini is known for being rock solid at Slams, having lost only to Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in his past four Slam appearances.
Led by his cannon forehand, Ruud played tremendous from the baseline and only dropped serve twice while breaking the big-serving Berrettini five times.
With a live ranking of No. 3 and the world No. 1 in his hands, the pressure will be on. It will take a tremendous mental game on top of the tennis skill he’s shown so far this fortnight to move on.
Khachanov Catching His Stride
Khachanov looked phenomenal against a motivated Nick Kyrgios. Although the Aussie stated he was struggling physically in the first set, those issues seemed to fade and he was moving and playing well in the later sets.
Kyrgios is hard to beat when he is focused, but Khachanov found his way through in a fifth set. The Russian stayed cool under huge pressure, fighting off break points and closing out the match. With the crowd pushing for Kyrgios, it was even more impressive to see Khachanov maintain his high quality of play.
A player who came into the tournament ranked 31 – well off his top rank of 8 – it's nice to see Khachanov take this step. As he arrives in his first Grand Slam semifinal, Khachanov will look to continue the best tennis he has produced in some time.
Betting Value
This match should be a battle. Both of these players have been ruthless from the baseline. These heavy hitters should produce plenty of winners and give the viewers a thrilling match.
I believe these two are evenly matched from the ground when evaluating this tournament. However, Ruud has been on the bigger stages more often recently so he may have a slight mental edge.
Regardless, Khachanov has been playing extremely well and I believe he has a great chance to win this match. At the minimum, he should push Ruud to his limits with an equal ground game and a big serve.
Pick: Khachanov +1.5 Sets (-105)
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