Carlos Alcaraz began his ATP Finals campaign with a thrilling 6-3, 7-6 (10/8) victory over Andrey Rublev on Wednesday, boosting his chances of advancing to the semi-finals.
The world number three bounced back from recent fatigue and illness issues, which had raised doubts about his participation in Turin. Despite concerns following a short training session on Tuesday—during which his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, noted Alcaraz struggled with breathing—the Spaniard delivered a dominant performance.
Alcaraz took the first set in 38 minutes, breaking Rublev in the seventh game and closing out the set with two quick wins. Although the second set proved more challenging, Alcaraz dazzled the Turin crowd with spectacular shots that hinted he was nearing his best form.
Rublev, on the other hand, remains at the bottom of the John Newcombe Group, suffering his sixth consecutive Finals loss, though he fought hard and had two set points during the match.
With Alcaraz’s straight-set victory, Casper Ruud can secure a semi-final spot if he defeats two-time Finals champion Alexander Zverev in the day’s late match.
On Thursday, Jannik Sinner will guarantee his place in the semi-finals by winning a single set against Daniil Medvedev, securing the top spot in the Ilie Nastase Group with a third consecutive win.
