The Norwegian becomes provisional leader in the John Newcombe Group
Casper Ruud barely needed one match to underline the equality that prevails at the Nitto ATP Finals, defeating third seed Carlos Alcaraz 6-1, 7-5 to provisionally take the lead in the John Newcombe Group. The Norwegian, runner-up two years ago in the season finale tournament, imposed his talent on the indoor court until he remembered a maxim at the Inalpi Arena in Turin: the path in the round robin It will be full of curves.
The No. 7 in the PIF ATP Rankings remained cool in a match with two very different faces. Ruud took advantage of an inspired entry on the court to catch an impeccable first set, nullifying any effort from the Spaniard in just 35 minutes of play. With his solidity as his flag, Casper accepted an attempted reaction from the Murcian, who managed to build a 5-2 wall with which he touched the final set. However, the Baltic managed to string together the last five games of the match to capture a duel with a very special flavor.
“It’s barely a game, but it’s one of my best wins of the season,” Ruud said. “Because of the opponent, because of his level, his ranking and all these things. I feel really happy. I think we will see Carlos play better tennis, but I had to take advantage of my opportunities.”
“I haven’t been fully confident in the last few weeks or months, so it was positive. Hopefully I can have continuity. I would love to get more wins here in Turin.”
The victory allows Ruud to deal his first blow (1-4) over Alcaraz in Lexus ATP Head2Head history. The Norwegian, who had barely won a round in the rivalry against the Spaniard, managed to impose the strength of his blows in the first direct clash on an indoor court. Carlos has experienced some of the most emotional moments of his career with Casper, beating him in final duels to crown his first ATP Masters 1000 title (Miami 2022) and his first Grand Slam (US Open 2022).
“It can be complicated,” Ruud responded about how to play against a limited opponent to perform at 100%. “I knew he had a bit of a cold. I’ve seen him with tissues over his nose in the players’ area, that’s a sign that maybe you’re not at 100%. It’s sad, it’s not good for him, but at the same time it’s part of the game.” of the game”.
“I knew it when I arrived on the court. I tried to make him play points, but it’s not easy. When you know that your rival is not at 100% you can get stressed. You think: ‘I have a great opportunity to win’. I have tried to stay in my world and, luckily, I made a great start to the match. I broke him very early and was able to maintain the advantage. In the second set I managed to turn the situation around with some good tennis at the end.”
From now on, Ruud will face an exciting horizon in Turin. The Norwegian will have experience to find the formula at the Inalpi Arena, where he is playing for the third time in his career in the tournament that closes the season. Casper managed to overcome the group stage in its two previous participations, competing in the semifinals in the 2021 edition and reaching the grand final in 2022.
For his part, Alcaraz has the opportunity to put the cherry on top of an exceptional 2024, in which he became the youngest man ever to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same season. The Murcian, who also won the silver medal at the Paris Olympic Games and defended the cup in Indian Wells, aspires to add to an increasingly impressive record in Piedmont.
Alcaraz faces the second participation of his career in the Nitto ATP Finals, after the semifinals reached during his debut in the 2023 edition. A year ago, the Murcian managed to survive the group stage before falling to the champion Novak Djokovic in the penultimate tournament round.
The first day of the John Newcombe Group will be completed this Monday in the evening session. Two-time German champion Alexander Zverev, recently crowned at the ATP Masters 1000 in Paris, will try to take advantage of the momentum against world No. 8 Andrey Rublev. They both face each other in round robin of the Nitto ATP Finals for the second consecutive season.
Did you know that…?
Carlos Alcaraz aspires to become the second Spanish champion of the Nitto ATP Finals in individual mode, breaking a barrier practically unprecedented in the history of La Armada. The Murcian will try to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Àlex Corretja, crowned under the cover of Hannover (Germany) in the 1998 season.
