Turin: Norway’s Casper Ruud came up with another superb performance at the ATP Finals, stunning multiple-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in straight sets in a preliminary group stage match here on Monday.
Ruud upset Alcaraz 6-1, 7-5 to register a huge early shock at the prestigious season finale. The Norwegian, who reached the summit clash on his previous ATP Finals appearance in 2022, expertly capitalised on a lacklustre performance from the third-seeded Alcaraz to seal an 86-minute victory inside Inalpi Arena.
“It’s only one match, but it’s definitely one of the best wins of the season for me,” Ruud was quoted as saying by the organisers on Monday. “In terms of who I’m playing, his level, his ranking, and all this stuff. I feel very happy of course. I think we will see Carlos play better tennis than he did today, but I took care of my chances.
“I have not been [full of] confidence in the past weeks or months, so it was a great win for me and hopefully I can build on it, and I would like to get some more wins while I am in Turin.”
Though Alcaraz appeared below his physical best on Monday, Ruud looked far from the player who entered the event having registered just two wins since the US Open. The 25-year-old struck the ball cleanly off both wings and showed few signs of nerves in serving out for his first ATP head-to-head win in five attempts against Alcaraz.
The early signs were good for Ruud as he began his third ATP Finals campaign, reeling off five consecutive games from 1-1 en route to the first set, although the World No. 7 was given substantial assistance by 15 unforced errors from the out-of-sorts Alcaraz.
Even when the Spaniard did manage to find his range in the second set, his comeback bid was undermined by his own inconsistency. Despite forging a 5-2 lead, Alcaraz was unable to close out and Ruud roared back with another streak of five games to seal his 50th tour-level win of 2024. The Norwegian had converted all four break points he earned, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
“It can be a bit tricky,” said Ruud, when asked about playing when an opponent is not at 100 percent. “I knew he was dealing with a bit of a cold. I saw him sniffling in the back area and with a tissue for his nose, so that’s a sign that maybe physically he won’t be necessarily at 100 percent. Of course, that is sad, and not good for him, but at the same time, it is part of the game.
Ruud will next seek to earn a second win on Wednesday when he will face either Alexander Zverev or Andrey Rublev in John Newcombe Group. Monday’s defeat is an early blow to Alcaraz’s hopes of reaching the semifinals in Turin for the second consecutive year, but the Spaniard will hope to raise his game for his next match as he chases his fifth tour-level title of the season.
–IANS
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