A blockbuster semifinal lineup in Bastad features every one of the top four seeds on Saturday. No. 1 Casper Ruud is going up against Lorenzo Musetti, while second-seeded Andrey Rublev battles Francisco Cerundolo.
(4) Francisco Cerundolo vs. (2) Andrey Rublev
Rublev is coming off yet another Grand Slam quarterfinal performance and he is showing no sign of slowing down despite a surface change back to clay. The world No. 7, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon quarters, has advanced so far at the Nordea Open with straight-set victories over Pavel Kotov and Alexander Zverev. Rublev is now 37-14 for the 2023 campaign, which includes the biggest title of his career at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Up next for the 25-year-old in Saturday’s semifinals is a second meeting with Cerundolo, who won their only previous encounter 6-4, 6-2 last summer in Hamburg. But Rublev was not in the best mental or physical shape at the time, having suffered perhaps the toughest loss of his career to Marin Cilic in the French Open quarterfinals before being banned from Wimbledon. The Russian is rolling now, however, so he should have the edge even though Cerundolo has also been on cruise control this week.
Pick: Rublev in 2
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(1) Casper Ruud vs. (3) Lorenzo Musetti
Ruud and Musetti will also be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers in an ATP main draw. Last fall in Paris it was Musetti who prevailed 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, although they also faced each other in 2019 Rome qualifying and Ruud dominated 6-1, 6-4.
This should be a good one between the fourth-ranked Ruud and the 16th-ranked Musetti. Ruud finished runner-up at the French Open for a second straight year and so far in Bastad he has eased past Alexander Shevchenko and Sebastian Ofner. Musetti needed three sets against both Matteo Arnaldi (8-6 in a third-set tiebreaker) and Filip Misolic, so the Italian could be feeling a little bit of fatigue. Even though both guys love clay, it favors Ruud to an even greater extent (as their past matchups suggest) so he may be able to pull out a hard-fought win.
Pick: Ruud in 3
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Rublev in 3; Rudd in 2.