Alcaraz C. vs Rune H. Preview and Betting Tips

🥎 ATP Singles Wimbledon Predictions

⏰ 12 July 2023 - 23:59 AEST

🌿 Surface - Grass

🏟 Location - London, United Kingdom

A clash between Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune on clay would indeed be an exhilarating matchup, unleashing the full potential of this budding new-age rivalry. However, it's interesting to note that their previous encounters took place on indoor hardcourts and their upcoming third meeting will occur on grass - a surface that is least preferred by both promising players.

Holger Rune was fatigued and had not yet fully established himself on the main tour when he first faced Carlos Alcaraz at the ATP Next Gen Finals two years ago. Alcaraz secured a comfortable straight-set victory in that match. However, in 2022, both players had remarkable seasons and were determined not to lose their initial significant encounter, which was regarded as a preview of their future battles. Interestingly, Rune was in a favourable position to secure a straight-set victory in the quarterfinals at the Paris Masters last year, but Carlos Alcaraz made the decision to withdraw from the match, citing fitness concerns.

Carlos Alcaraz finished his biggest test on grass yet in impressive fashion by defeating Matteo Berrettini in four sets without needing a tiebreaker. The big-serving Italian's not being in top condition certainly made things a little easier for the Spaniard, but it was still a superb performance and result, considering Alcaraz's limited experience on the surface and the 2021 Wimbledon runner-up's prowess and reputation in these conditions.

Every win on grass is clearly boosting the confidence of the 20-year-old, and he now has his sights firmly set on the Wimbledon title. This would serve to erase the disappointment he faced at the French Open on his preferred clay last month. "I'm aiming for more. My dream is to reach the final and win this title one day. Hopefully, it will happen this year," he said after securing a place in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.

The current world #1 has emerged victorious in all nine matches played on grass this year, which is truly remarkable considering his young age and limited experience on this surface. During his title-winning campaign in London last month, he dropped only one set and demonstrated dominance against players such as Grigor Dimitrov, Sebastian Korda, and Alex de Minaur.

Holger Rune's quarterfinal run at Wimbledon this fortnight can be seen as an even more impressive result when compared to Carlos Alcaraz's. The Spaniard was just one win away from reaching this stage at Wimbledon in 2022, whereas Rune had no wins on grass prior to this year, with a 0-3 record.

The unwavering determination and resilience of the former Boys' French Open champion have shaped him into the top player he is today, and both of those attributes were evident in his last two matches. He fought back from a 2-6 deficit in the super tiebreaker against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the third round and recovered from being a set and a breakdown against Grigor Dimitrov in the round of 16.

The former Junior #1, who is the second Danish player ever to reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and the first in the Open era, has yet to advance beyond this stage. This outcome falls short of expectations for someone with aspirations to win a title at this level as early as 2023. Notably, he suffered losses in both of his previous matches at this stage against Casper Ruud at the French Open in 2022 and 2023.

Rune, ranked #145 in the world and facing exhaustion due to poor scheduling, managed to take a set off the then-world #1 Novak Djokovic at the US Open in 2021. Since then, after establishing himself as a prominent name in the sport, he has faced two different world #1 ranked players and emerged victorious against both: Carlos Alcaraz in Paris 2022 and Novak Djokovic in Rome 2023.

📋 Head-to-head: Tied at 1-1. Once again, neither of these fiercely competitive youngsters would want to lose to each other and be put on the back foot in the early stages of their growing rivalry. However, playing on grass puts Holger Rune at a disadvantage, as he would need an exceptional performance to achieve an unlikely victory against the top seed.