By Rudra Biswas

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Match DetailsFixture: (1) Carlos Alcaraz vs (4) Casper RuudDate: September 29, 2025Tournament: Japan Open Tennis Championships 2025Round: SemifinalVenue: Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, JapanCategory: ATP 500Surface: HardPrize Money: $2,226,470Live Telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Sky Sports | Canada – TSNCarlos Alcaraz vs Casper Ruud preview Kinoshita Group Japan Open – Day 5 – Source: GettyWorld No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz will face fourth-seeded Casper Ruud for a place in the final of the 2025 Japan Open on Sunday (September 29).Making his debut in Tokyo this week, Alcaraz suffered an ankle injury scare in the initial few games of his first-round win against Argentina’s Sebastian Baez. Hopefully, the 22-year-old was able to regroup from the minor setback and has since played some blistering tennis, dispatching topm 50 players like Brandon Nakashima and Zizou Bergs without the loss of a single set to reach the semifinals of the ATP 500 tournament.If the top seed manages to go all the way, it will mark his eighth singles title of 2025. His next opponent will be the resurgent Ruud, who is looking to make amends for his poor form over the last few weeks due to a serious knee injury that led to his Wimbledon withdrawal.At this year’s Japan Open, the World No. 12’s campaign almost ended before it began as he was forced to reverse a set deficit against local favorite Shintaro Mochizuki. The 26-year-old has since steadied the ship, though. Later on, he beat Matteo Berrettini and Aleksandar Vukic in convincing fashion, respectively, to record only his third last-four appearance this year.Carlos Alcaraz vs Casper Ruud head-to-headAlcaraz leads Ruud by a margin of 4-1 in their head-to-head meetings on the ATP Tour. While the Spaniard beat him in the finals of the US Open and the Miami Open in 2022, the Norwegian won their most recent clash at last year’s ATP Finals.Carlos Alcaraz vs Casper Ruud oddsPlayerMoneylineHandicap BetsTotal Games (Over/Under)Carlos Alcaraz-900-1.5 (-275)Over 19.5 (-165)Casper Ruud+525+!.5 (+180)Under 19.5 (+115)All bets sourced from BetMGM.Carlos Alcaraz vs Casper Ruud predictionCasper Ruud returns a ball in Beijing | Image Source: GettyAlcaraz’s serving and shotmaking ability are at their respective peaks currently, as evidenced by his dominant US Open triumph earlier this month. More importantly, he has won a whopping 41 of his last 43 matches and will be eager to secure his first-ever title at the Japan Open.While Ruud has far less firepower than his younger opponent and also doesn’t have the same level of variety, he can hang on during rallies with his dependable cross-court forehand. For what it’s worth, though, the longer that their exchanges get on Sunday, the more likely the chances of Alcaraz coming up trumps in the sixth installment of their rivalry.Pick: Alcaraz to win in straight sets.