Ruud pounces on depleted Alcaraz to begin with Turin win

Casper Ruud took advantage of a depleted Carlos Alcaraz on Monday to start the ATP Finals with a 6-1, 7-5 defeat of the ailing Spaniard in their opening group match.

The Norwegian who won only his third match from a dozen played since the US Open, also defeated the former No. 1 and current Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion for the first time.

Ruud ripped through the opening set against an opponent who has been suffering with a cold, winning 11 of the last 12 points.

The Scandinavian then recovered from a break down in the second set and took victory after 87 minutes on his third match point.

Ruud sealed it with a fifth ace after breaking Alcaraz four times while saving five of the six break points he faced on his own serve.

“I knew he was dealing with a cold, he’s been walking around with a tissue on his nose,” Ruud said. “That was a sign he might not be at 100 per cent.

“It’s not good for him, but that’s part of the game. I tried to make him play rallies, but it’s not easy when you know he’s (not fit). You can get stressed yourself.”

Ruud said his strategy was to “stay in my world, my zone” in the opening set. “In the second I was able to turn it around with some good tennis at the end.”

The Norseman called his victory “one of the best wins of the season for me,” adding: “We’ve all seen Carlos play better tennis.”

Ruud is playing the year-ender for a third time after reaching the 2021 semis and the final a year later where he lost to Novak Djokovic.

“I feel very good here,” he said. “Even if the last part of the season has not been very good for me.

“I hope I’ve saved some wins for this week. I’ve started well and I hope to continue like this for the rest of the week.”

Alcaraz, a 2023 year-end semi-finalist a year ago on his debut, committed 34 unforced errors in one of his most dismal recent displays.

Main photo:- Casper Ruud winning in Turin today – by ATPTour.com