Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz rejuvenated his ATP Finals campaign with a convincing 7-5, 6-2 victory over Andrey Rublev. The win revived Alcaraz’s chances in the Red Group after his initial defeat to Alexander Zverev. Alcaraz will face Daniil Medvedev in a crucial final group game, while the Russian, with a guaranteed progression, secured his spot in the semi-finals by defeating Germany’s Alexander Zverev 7-6(7), 6-4. Zverev faces Rublev in his last group game but risks missing out on a semi-final spot after a challenging loss to Medvedev.
Questions about Alcaraz’s form were answered as he responded to a three-match losing streak with a confident performance. In the Turin clash, Rublev faced a downward spiral, losing serve at 5-5 in the first set and enduring a meltdown in the second set, smashing his racket in frustration. Alcaraz capitalized on the situation, securing a comfortable victory in just over an hour.
Reflecting on his win, Alcaraz stated, “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.”
In the other match, Zverev, a two-time champion, faced Medvedev and missed opportunities, losing a first-set tiebreak lead and crucial points in the second set. Medvedev capitalized on Zverev’s errors, breaking serve in the crucial moments to secure victory. Medvedev’s win solidified his place in the semi-finals, maintaining his dominance over Zverev with 11 wins in their 18 meetings.
