US Open betting tips: History beckons for teen sensation Alcaraz
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US Open betting tips and predictions
Teenager Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud are not only fighting it out for a maiden grand slam title in Sunday’s US Open final but the world number one ranking is also at stake.
Third seed Alacaraz, the youngest player to reach a grand slam final since fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal at the French Open in 2005, is the 4/9 favourite to beat 7/4 outsider Ruud, who gave us an 11/8 winner in his semi-final against Karen Khachanov by winning his opening serve, the first set and the match, plus we said we were tempted by the 3/1 on a four-set victory.
Alcaraz has had a tumultuous second week at Flushing Meadows, so let’s examine the prospects of both players in our US Open betting tips.
Casper Ruud v Carlos Alcaraz
No-one would begrudge 19-year-old Alcaraz becoming the world’s youngest world number one should he lift the trophy having come through his last three matches in five sets.
The youngster’s third and fourth-round victories over Marin Cilic and Jannik Sinner – the latter was the second longest in US Open history at five hours and 18 minutes during which he faced match point in the fourth set – finished well after 2am.
That win against Sinner actually ended at 2.50am, the latest finish ever in this tournament and his last three wins have taken a combined 13 hours and 28 minutes, so it would take a brave person to question his resilience and stamina.
Alcaraz's Round 4: five sets
Alcaraz's quarterfinal: five sets
Alcaraz's semifinal: five sets
😮💨
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2022
Alcaraz said: “To be honest in the semi-final of a grand slam you have to give everything. We have to fight until the last ball. It doesn’t matter if we are fighting for five hours, six hours. It doesn’t matter. You have to give everything on court.”
Ruud took around four and a half hours less to dispatch Corentin Moutet, Matteo Berrettini and Karen Khachanov in his last three matches, so he has the advantage in that sense, but the fifth-seeded Norwegian has lost both encounters with Alcaraz.
The world number four beat Ruud 7-5 6-4 in the Miami final more than five months ago and also won in straight sets on the clay courts at the Andalucia Open in Marbella last year.
19-year-old @CarlosAlcaraz vs. 23-year-old @CasperRuud98 is 2nd-youngest #USOpen men's singles final of Open Era (Pete Sampras, 19, d. @AndreAgassi, 20, in 1990).
It is youngest Grand Slam men's singles final since 2002 @Wimbledon (@LleytonHewitt, 21, d. @NalbandianDavid, 20).
— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) September 10, 2022
Alcaraz is 21/10 to beat Ruud in straight sets once again, but that scenario would appear unlikely bearing in mind how his last the previous three rounds have transpired.
Ruud has already been in a grand slam final this year, taking just six games off Rafael Nadal, but he claims that experience will prove invaluable ahead of Sunday’s showdown.
He said: “I hope it has prepared me a little bit. At least I know a little bit of what I’m facing when I’m stepping on the court, seeing the trophy on the back of the court, seeing tons of celebrities. Even at Roland Garros, there were royal families there watching. That was a little bit of a new experience for me. I hope I can be more ready for that on Sunday.”
1st-Time #USOpen Finalists H2H
'22 @CarlosAlcaraz v @CasperRuud98
'20 @DomiThiem d @AlexZverev
'14 @Cilic_Marin d @KeiNishikori
'03 @AndyRoddick d @JuankiFerri
'97 Rafter d Rusedski
'91 Edberg d Courier
'90 Sampras d Agassi
'79 McEnroe d Vitas G
'71 Smith d Kodes
'68 Ashe d Okker— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) September 10, 2022
Alcaraz to win a fourth consecutive five-setter is 9/2, but we prefer the 17/10 on a victory and over 39.5 total games as the first of our US Open betting tips.
Although it took until the fourth set for Alcaraz to be broken in his thrilling battle with Tiafoe, Ruud drew first blood instantly when they met in Miami.
Ruud has been the first to break in his last five matches at the US Open and could strike early again at 5/4.
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
