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Djokovic vs Ruud predictions: Superstar Serb on verge of history
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Rob Eddy
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Novak Djokovic has beaten Casper Ruud in all four previous meetings, two of which came on clay
Novak Djokovic has beaten Casper Ruud in all four previous meetings, two of which came on clay

- Novak Djokovic has won all four previous meetings with Casper Ruud 
- Djokovic has not won any of his six previous French Open finals in straight sets
- Recommended bet: Novak Djokovic to win 3-1

Novak Djokovic is just one match away from immortality as he bids to become the first male player to win 23 Grand Slam singles titles in Sunday's French Open final.

Djokovic is 1/5 with LiveScore Bet to win the 2023 French Open, a triumph which would see him pull one clear of Rafael Nadal, who announced last month that he intends to retire next season.

Standing in Djokovic's way is Casper Ruud, the world No4 and a two-time Grand Slam finalist. 

The Norwegian underdog is 7/2 to spoil Djokovic's Roland Garros party.

The stats

As far as Grand Slam experience is concerned, the stats massively favour Djokovic. 

He has played in 33 Grand Slam finals, winning 22 of them including 10 of his the last 12, proving incredibly formidable in the biggest matches.

The Serb had a losing record (6-7) after 13 Grand Slam final appearances but he has been the dominant performer over the last decade, chalking up a 16-4 record from Wimbledon 2014 onwards.

He has, however, found the French Open difficult to win, claiming the title on just two occasions, which is understandable given Nadal's dominance on the surface. 

Djokovic has played six French finals, losing four — three against Nadal and one against an inspired Stan Wawrinka — and he has never won a Roland Garros final in straight sets, beating Andy Murray in four in 2016 and coming from two down to see off Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2021.

While that gives Ruud some hope, the Norwegian must overcome a terrible head-to-head record which Djokovic leads 4-0 without dropping a set, with two of those wins coming on clay at the Italian Open.

Djokovic has required four sets to win his last two matches, against Karen Khachanov and a stricken Carlos Alcaraz, who was cramping so badly he could barely move.

Ruud, meanwhile, has beaten in-form Nicolas Jarry, Holger Rune and Alexander Zverev in his last three matches, dropping just one set in the process (against Rune in the quarters).

Prediction

Having lost two previous Grand Slam finals, Ruud has psychological barriers to overcome and that is a big problem against Djokovic, who will aim to expose any weakness in the Norwegian's game.

Djokovic could win this with ease but Khachanov was able to challenge him with some brutal baseline hitting and Alcaraz looked to be getting the better of the argument before his body refused to comply.

Ruud can also draw hope from his performances in the tournament so far and clay remains his best surface, as he demonstrated when reaching the final last season.

He does not quite have the power to blow Djokovic off the court but he has been playing with confidence in general and Djokovic has never won a French Open final in straight sets.

All-round brilliance and sheer bloody-mindedness should ensure that Djokovic breaks the Grand Slam record but Ruud has every chance of at least pushing him, as Tsitsipas was able to in 2021, so a 3-1 Djokovic win looks the value option.

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