Emil Ruusuvuori vs Karen Khachanov Prediction: It's worth betting on a Finn

Emil Ruusuvuori will face Russian Karen Khachanov in the round of 16 of the tournament in Hong Kong. The guys have crossed paths with each other twice before, both face-to-face meetings remained for Karen, who is quoted as the favorite in the pair.

Unlike Khachanov, Emil has already played one match at the current tournament. The Finn's opponent was Frenchman Bonzi, the 73rd-ranked player in the world. Ruusuvuori lost the first game to Bonzi on a tie-break but won the next two 6:2, 6:1. During the game, Emil made five aces with four double faults and won 65% of points on the first serve and 53% on the second. Reception statistics: 38%/69%, winnings/enforcers 31/29.

Last season, Karen wrapped up with a tournament in Metz, where Khachanov reached the quarterfinals but lost to his compatriot, Alexander Shevchenko, 4:6, 4:6. Khachanov has not played an official match this season. His last match against Shevchenko was played on November 9, almost two months ago, and it is hard to say what kind of form the Russian is in now.

In this pairing, we should bet on the Finn, who already has game practice at the current tournament. Most of the favorites at the start of the season had difficulties in their opening matches, which applies to the representatives of the top twenty ATP rankings and the top ten. We doubt Karen Khachanov will have such problems on Wednesday, especially since the Russians are not the weakest opponent. Moreover, we wouldn't be surprised if Emil wins the upcoming match, as he improved during the match against Bonzi. If Ruusuvuori plays the upcoming match at the same level as he did in the last two sets against the Frenchman, it won't be easy for Karen.