Norway's Casper Ruud produced another stellar show at the ATP Finals, astonishing multiple-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in straight sets in a preliminary group stage match here on Monday.
Ruud upstaged Alcaraz 6-1, 7-5 to get 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 capitalized 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 am 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 don't say I have been very confident in the last few weeks or months, so that was a great win for me, and hopefully I can build on it, and I'd like to get some more wins while I am here in Turin."
Though Alcaraz came into on Monday appearing somewhat below his physical best, Ruud looked little like the player who arrived at the tournament having recorded just two wins since the US Open. The 25-year-old hit the ball cleanly off both wings and served out for his first ATP head-to-head win in five attempts against Alcaraz.
The early signs were promising for Ruud as he began his third ATP Finals campaign, reeling off five consecutive games from 1-1 to take the first set, although the World No. 7 was given substantial assistance by 15 unforced errors from the out-of-sorts Alcaraz.
Even when he finally found his rhythm in the second set, inconsistency was the spoils of Alcaraz's comeback bid. Forward after taking a 5-2 lead, it was Ruud who responded with another five games to secure his 50th tour-level win of 2024. The Norwegian had converted all four break chances he had accumulated, Infosys ATP Stats reported.
It can be a little tricky, Ruud said 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's sad and not good for him, but at the same time, it is part of the game.
Ruud will look to claim a second triumph on Wednesday when he will play either Alexander Zverev or Andrey Rublev in John Newcombe Group. Monday's defeat has come as an early setback for Alcaraz in his quest to qualify for Turin's semi finals for the second year running, but the Spaniard can hope to get into his groove on the next day when he seeks his fifth title of the year at the tour level.
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