Holger Rune vs. Casper Rudd prediction: French Open odds, pick Wednesday

Wednesday’s quarterfinal between Casper Ruud and Holger Rune has the potential to be the match of the 2023 Men’s French Open. 

Though Ruud and Rune may not be household names outside of the sport yet, they are two of the best young players in tennis, and there is no love lost between the two Scandinavians.

This already will be the sixth time these two top-10 players have met in their young careers and it is the second year in a row that Ruud and Rune will duke it out at this junction of the French Open.

Ruud got the better of Rune in four sets at Roland Garros in 2022, but the real story was what came afterward as the two players allegedly got into a bit of a shouting match in the locker room after the contest ended.

Ruud is a -130 favorite to beat Rune on Wednesday at 2:15 p.m.

Holger Rune vs. Casper Ruud prediction

Rune and Ruud are both young, talented, and from the same region of the world, but the similarities end there.

These two players approach tennis very differently. 

Rune, 20, is confident and is not afraid to show it.

He never has an issue getting up for a match with any opponent.

Ruud is a much more stoic, calm player that wants his game to do the talking.

The fire-and-ice nature of this rivalry should make for fantastic viewing and will also come into play from a betting perspective, especially since the margins between these two players, in terms of their on-court ability, are quite thin.

Ruud may be the more experienced player and has been to a pair of Grand Slam Finals (including the 2022 French Open), but Rune has the edge in terms of raw talent.

Rune’s ceiling is higher, but Ruud has a higher floor.

You’d also trust that Ruud will be the more composed player if things go off the rails, but at the same time, you could argue that Rune is the only player in this match with the ability to rattle his opponent.

Rune is coming off a wild five-set victory over Francisco Cerundolo on Monday, and the betting market seems to be skeptical of the Dane coming off that showing.

It was an adventurous match, and Rune came close to melting down, but he was able to hold his nerve and rely on his defense to stabilize himself in the big moments.

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Ruud’s path to the quarterfinals has been much more straightforward.

The Norwegian has yet to really feel any pressure in this tournament, although he did drop a set in his matches with Giulio Zeppieri and Zhizhen Zhang.

Those calm waters are likely to get a lot more choppy on Wednesday.

Ruud is a physical player who can overpower lesser opponents on clay with his forehand, but Rune’s movement, defensive ability, and his terrific backhand could counteract his opponent’s best weapon.

The Dane should also be full of confidence after defeating Ruud for the first time in his career a few weeks ago in the semifinals of the Rome Masters 1000.

The market implies that this match is close to a coin flip, with Ruud holding a slight edge.

I’d zag the other way and would play Rune at any plus-money number.

French Open prediction

Holger Rune (+110, FanDuel)