Cincinnati R2 previews and predictions: Tsitsipas vs. Marozsan, Ruud vs. Rinderknech

The seeds will start taking the court on Saturday in Cincinnati, where Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud are on the order of play. Tsitsipas is going up against Fabian Marozsan, while Ruud faces Arthur Rinderknech.

(25) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Fabian Marozsan

Tsitsipas has plunged to No. 29 in the world and he is 24th in the race to Turin. The 26-year-old Greek is just 19-14 this season and 4-7 in his last 11 matches dating back to the clay-court tournament in Barcelona. Tsitsipas has not won a match since the Halle first round, as he retired from his Wimbledon opener and then lost right away in Toronto at the hands of Christopher O’Connell.

Up first for the No. 25 seed at the Western & Southern Open on Saturday is a second-round showdown against Marozsan. Although Marozsan’s current form is hardly spectacular, he has already picked up five victories on this North American hard-court swing. That includes a third-round effort in Toronto and a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 defeat defeat of qualifier Colton Smith on Thursday. With a win already under his belt, the 51st-ranked Hungarian should be more than ready to capitalize on a struggling opponent.

Pick: Marozsan in 2

(11) Casper Ruud vs. Arthur Rinderknech

Like Tsitsipas, Ruud has been on the way down the rankings in 2025. The 26-year-old Norwegian predictably heated up on a clay with a title at the Madrid Masters, but he has since been plagued by poor play and physical problems. Ruud missed the entire grass-court swing and he is just 4-4 in his last eight matches dating back to the Rome quarterfinals after losing to Karen Khachanov in the Toronto fourth round.

A matchup with Rinderknech should be just what the doctor ordered. Ruud has absolutely owned the Frenchman in four meetings; the former world No. 2 rolled in straight sets in 2021 (Kitzbuhel), 2023 (Rome), and twice earlier this year (Acapulco and Madrid). Even on the hard courts of Acapulco, Ruud had no trouble coasting to a 6-4, 6-3 victory. Rinderknech is in decent form and opened with an impressive 6-3, 6-3 scalp of Nuno Borges on Thursday, so the world No. 70 will likely be the most competitive he ever has been against Ruud. Still, asking him to completely turn the tide might be too much.

Pick: Ruud in 3