Tennis

Casper Ruud, the former World No. 2 and current Top 10 player, has endured a disappointing end to the 2024 season. Despite a strong start with a 47-22 record and a 68.1% winning percentage, Ruud has lost seven of his last nine matches, including stunning defeats to Henrique Rocha, Aleksandar Vukic, and Roberto Bautista Agut.Ruud's recent struggles have raised concerns about his motivation and preparation for the end of the season. He has openly criticized the lack of an offseason in tennis, suggesting that he may not be prioritizing this period. This is surprising considering his position in the ATP Finals race.One of Ruud's most notable losses during this slump was against Jordan Thompson in Tokyo. Thompson, who has a 4-3 head-to-head record against Ruud, has won two of their three encounters in 2024. Thompson's success against Ruud stems from his aggressive style of play, featuring a big serve and strong net play.Thompson's ability to exploit Ruud's weaknesses has made him a formidable opponent. While Ruud possesses a powerful forehand and a solid serve, his game can be inconsistent. Thompson has consistently found ways to expose these flaws.Given Ruud's recent form and Thompson's head-to-head advantage, the Australian is a strong pick to win their upcoming match at the Rolex Paris Masters. Despite Ruud's higher ranking and reputation, Thompson's current form and familiarity with his opponent's weaknesses make him the more likely victor.

Sebastian Korda, the American tennis star, will face Jordan Thompson of Australia in the quarterfinals of the Washington D.C. Open on Friday, August 2. Korda advanced to this stage after a fortunate victory over Thanasi Kokkinakis, while Thompson has been in impressive form throughout 2024.Korda's victory over Kokkinakis was a tale of two halves. The Australian appeared to have the match in hand, but Korda managed to pull off an improbable shot to save a match point and steal the second set. Kokkinakis then retired in the third set due to an injury.Despite his fortunate victory, Korda's performance has been far from convincing. The American has struggled with his consistency and has not been playing at the level he was last year. His hold percentage is down, and he is not returning as well as he did in previous seasons.In contrast, Thompson has been one of the most underrated players on the planet in 2024. The Australian has a career-high winning percentage of 59.1% and has won more matches this season than any other in his career. Thompson is a rock-solid server, can grind from the baseline, and is extremely competent at net.Thompson's ability to stay solid while constructing points is troubling for players like Korda, who are prone to making mistakes. The Australian is likely to cruise through some service games and extract errors from Korda's baseline play.While Korda may be the higher-ranked player, Thompson has been in much better form this season. The Australian has won nine of his last 12 matches and is more likely to solve problems on the court.Given Thompson's impressive form and Korda's struggles, the Australian is a tempting underdog at +150.

Holger Rune's inconsistent form continued on Monday as he suffered a first-round upset at the cinch Championships, losing 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 to Jordan Thompson. The No. 7 seed, who has struggled for consistency in 2024, failed to capitalize on a set advantage against the unseeded Australian.Rune, who reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2023, was looking to make a smooth transition from clay to grass. However, he struggled to find his rhythm against Thompson, who started the season with a stunning victory over Rafael Nadal.Thompson, ranked No. 32, is enjoying a career-best season. He won his first ATP title in Los Cabos and captured his first Masters 1000 doubles title with Sebastian Korda.In the decider, Thompson raced out to a 3-0 lead and held his nerve to secure his 11th career Top 20 victory. He will now face former world No. 1 Andy Murray, who will play Alexei Popryin on Tuesday.Meanwhile, No. 3 seed Grigor Dimitrov made a strong start to his Queen's Club campaign, defeating Adrian Mannarino 6-1, 6-2. Dimitrov will face the winner of the first-round clash between Sebastian Korda and Karen Khachanov.Rune's early exit is a setback in his bid to regain his top-10 ranking. The young Dane has seen his ranking drop from No. 7 to No. 15 in the last six months, with early exits in three of the five Masters 1000 tournaments in 2024.