Casper Ruud takes on Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open on Wednesday. The Norwegian has been in inspired form in Rome and goes into the match on the back of his straight-sets win over Lorenzo Musetti. Khachanov has also been hitting his stride on clay and saw off Novak Djokovic-conquerer Dino Prižmić in the last round.
Casper Ruud vs Karen Khachanov Match Details
Date: May 13, 2026
Tournament: Italian Open 2026
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Foro Italico, Rome, Italy
Surface: Outdoor Clay
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Live Telecast: Tennis Channel, Sky Sports, TSN
Ruud vs Khachanov Head-to-Head Record
Ruud holds the head-to-head lead over Khachanov, triumphing in 2 of their 3 meetings on the ATP Tour. The two also met in Rome six years ago, with Ruud coming out on top in three sets.
The 27-year-old won again at the 2022 US Open. But Khachanov gained a measure of revenge by defeating Ruud at the 2025 Canadian Open in straight sets.
Ruud has looked near-unstoppable at the Italian Open so far. He breezed past Zachary Svajda in the second round before claiming a 6-3, 6-4 win over 11th seed Jiří Lehečka. In the fourth round, the clay-court specialist comfortably dispatched Musetti with another dominant showing.
Khachanov hasn’t had the best of starts to 2026, but he is set to play his first quarterfinal in Rome on Wednesday. He defeated the on-song Prižmić in straight sets in the fourth round, showcasing great composure under pressure.
The Russian kept things tight and was at his aggressive best, not giving Prižmić any time to settle into his rhythm. His run in Rome has improved his 2026 win-loss record to 11-10.
Ruud vs Khachanov Prediction and Pick
Ruud appears to be the firm favorite going into this match. He has the head-to-head lead, has won 12 titles on clay, and has three semifinal appearances at the Italian Open. That clay-court experience and pedigree could prove to be invaluable as he looks to see off the heavy-hitting Russian’s challenge.
Khachanov has shown throughout his run in Rome that he has the patience and composure to be successful on clay. But translating that to a strong performance against one of the top clay-court players of this era will not be an easy task.
Ruud is adept at creating break-point opportunities while maintaining consistency on his own serve.
Khachanov will no doubt provide him with a tough battle, but Ruud is playing with plenty of confidence at the moment. And we are backing him to continue his run by securing the win against the 13th seed.
Pick – Ruud in three sets.
