First victory for Carlos Alcaraz against the Russian Andrei Rublev by 7-5 and 6-2 and a first victory in the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin that allows him to continue fighting to qualify for the semifinals this Friday if he wins Daniil Medvedev. The challenge is not easy. But it is normal when the eight best in the world are in the tournament. “It gives me confidence. I think I’m finding the level I wanted,” the world number two tennis player from Murcia said on the court.
Press with the serve, defend it to the death, hit harder and wait for the moment. That is the way to emerge victorious from the fast track of the Pala Alpitour in Turin. “He who hits first will hit twice,” he said in the preview Juan Carlos Ferrero. And that was the script for the first set. Alcaraz y Rublev They maintained a pulse from the service point in the first games.
The two reached 4-4 almost without giving up points, but at the moment of truth Alcaraz He was superior, braver, more solid. He missed the first break point at 37 minutes. Rublev He saved him with his serve, but, on the next serve of the Russian tennis player, he did not miss the opportunity to make the ‘break’ (6-5) and score the first set in 42 minutes, to the desperation of his rival.
Rublev’s Despair
Anger cost Rublev dearly. The Russian lost the concentration with which he had entered the court. And Alcaraz did not waste it, breaking serve again in the first game of the second set to take a 2-0 lead. Desperate, angry with himself, habitual of playing him too many times, Rublev could not find peace to face a very safe, effective Alcaraz who only needed to get the ball in and wait for the fruit to fall ripe.
And that happened when Rublev He gave up his serve again (0-40) so that Alcaraz went to the chair with 5-2 in his favor before scoring his first victory against the Russian after 1 hour and 15 minutes. He won the last three blank games against a Rublev (world number 5) missing in combat and out of his mind.
This Friday, Alcaraz will have a more complicated mission to earn a place in the semifinals against Daniil Medvedev who, in the night session this Wednesday, faced Alexander Zverev.
2023-11-15 13:30:11
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