Preview Dallas Open 2025 Final: Denis Shapovalov set for title clash with Casper Ruud

The last final of the latest week of action comes on Sunday evening as Denis Shapovalov faces off against Casper Ruud in the curtain raiser at the Dallas Open. Our preview looks ahead to the ATP 500 tournament.

One of only 10 United States tournaments on the ATP Tour and the only ATP Tour indoor tournament in the US. It has been upgraded for this year and featured a myriad of top names mainly from the US. This included Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton. But as we go down to two it is one expected and one perhaps not so but with pedigree still.

Ruud forms part of the two finals on Sunday where the players involved are rocking nose tape. Carlos Alcaraz has done the same and both seem to be on their way to titles. Alex de Minaur could still pay heed to that but the Spaniard will be favourite as will the Norwegian.

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It is a strange complexion for Ruud who usually plays the Golden Swing instead. But he is only signed up for Acapulco in the coming weeks and instead will use his time to play in the US and Middle East. A player that has made it his career mission to win on the dirt, he has headed into indoor hard and made it his own this week.

Albeit as per a stat on social media, Ruud has made as many hardcourt finals in the past 52 weeks as Medvedev and Zverev combined so in reality he shouldn't be written off. But neither should Shapovalov who has had one of his best weeks in a long time.

Nose tape for Ruud is a good superstition but a winning feeling he hasn't had in a while.

This week has been very much a beat what has been put in front of Ruud without excelling too much that he is immediately a Grand Slam contender type week. He found a way past James Duckworth in three sets in the opening round and after Marcos Giron withdrew, he faced Michael Mmoh in the Last 16. But it was a pretty easy test as he was just too good for the American. Yoshihito NIshioka handed a walk-over to Ruud in the Quarter-Finals before Jaume Munar proved to be a tricky test but he won 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(3).

It would be a first title of the season for Ruud and would help him ahead of a run which sees him defend the Barcelona Open and Geneva Open in the coming months as well as a final run in Monte-Carlo. Those three will bookend a favourite part of the season but of course a 500 point boost would help him.

Also with Alex de Minaur in the final of Rotterdam which he could yet win, he is very much looming wanting to take that top five spot in the ATP Rankings. So keeping the wolves from the door for as long as possible is very much preferred.

Resurgence for Shapovalov

While on the otherhand, Denis Shapovalov has had to claw for everything this week and a popular player who has lost his way a little bit, it is great to see him return to a final and show exactly what he can do again.

He has had to vanquish almost all of the top names on offer aside from Ruud who he gets next. Tommy Paul who was defending champion in the old 250 format won't defend his Delray Beach points next week and was defeated by Shapovalov 7-5, 6-3

While Tomas Machac who on his day when he isn't cramping or letting leads slip is one of the best players outside of the leading contingent was beaten also 7-5, 6-0 after a tight opening set. While Shapovalov came from a set down to see off title favourite and top seed Taylor Fritz 6-2, 3-6, 6-7. Miomir Kecmanovic also was beaten in three sets to start the tournament.

Is Denis Shapovalov back?

Currently ranked World No.54, that will heavily improve but after injury travails, it will be good just for Shapovalov to feel the way he should again.

It won't be his first title in a while though as he won the Belgrade Open but would be a first ATP 500 title ever after a few opportunities have passed him by. Head to Head wise, Ruud though as he is the favourite will head into it with two previous wins under his belt.

He bested him during Shapovalov's best years in 2021 and 2022 winning in the final of Geneva and the Quarter-Final in Rome. Of course both being on outdoor clay, this being indoor hard in a similar complexion to Alcaraz and De Minaur's Head to Head in Rotterdam today adds a misleading point of view perhaps.

This makes it very much anybody's to win as they compete at around 20:00 CET later this evening in Dallas.

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