Alcaraz still ‘alive’ in the ATP Finals after defeating Rublev
The Spaniard clinched his first-ever win in the tournament and will battle it out with Medvedev next for a place in the semifinals.
The old version of Carlos Alcaraz is back. At least that’s what he proved against Andrey Rublev in his second-round robin match in the ATP Finals.
The Spaniard needed to defeat his Russian opponent to have a chance of progressing in the tournament, as he lost the opener to Alexander Zverev, and he managed to score his first win in the event in straight sets.
The Murcia native, who had lost to Rublev in an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi in 2022, was the more solid player from the baseline and held his serve throughout the whole game.
With 5-5 in the first set, Carlitos got the break and from that moment on, it seemed the Russian’s fighting spirit started to fade away. In the second, the two-time major champion kept playing with the same intensity and closed the match with a comfortable 6-2.
‘All in’ against Medvedev
Alcaraz is now 1-1 in the ATP Finals and will need a second victory to get the ticket to the semifinals.
The 20-year-old star will have the chance of securing a place among the best four players against Daniil Medvedev, who got the best of him in the last US Open semifinals.
The Russian is in red-hot form and he will want to take advantage of the fast courts in Turin, which fit his game.
Both players have played four times in the past, with two wins for each. Medvedev defeated Alcaraz in four sets in New York last time out, but the Spaniard was the better player in Wimbledon and Indian Wells this year.
“It was a totally different match and level from me. This is the level I have to play if I want to give myself a chance in this amazing tournament,” Alcaraz said after the match.
“Yesterday was a good day for me in practice to find the level I needed to show today and I think I did pretty well. I am very happy with my level”, he added.
With his victory over Rublev, Alcaraz is now 64-11 on the season.