Carlos Alcaraz breaks Andrey Rublev's soul in securing first ATP Finals win
After both players held their way to 5-5, the Spaniard pulled away in their Red Group encounter Wednesday.
Two days after dropping his Nitto ATP Finals debut, Carlos Alcaraz bounced back to pick up his first victory at the year-end event.
On Wednesday, the world No. 2 defeated Andrey Rublev, 7-5, 6-2, for his 65th match win of the season. The victory ensures Alcaraz will be in contention to advance out of the Red Group on Friday when he faces Daniil Medvedev.
“Every match here could be a final of a Grand Slam. That’s the difference coming into this tournament,” Alcaraz told Prakash Amritraj on Tennis Channel afterwards. “Your mindset has to change a little bit.”
After both players held in each of their first five service games, Alcaraz broke when Rublev mistimed a backhand up the line—and he had no problem consolidating to close the set.
The No. 5 seed’s emotions soon came pouring out when he dropped serve from 40-15 to open the second set. A roar of frustration when Alcaraz hit a backhand return winner to reach deuce was followed by a broken racquet when the Spaniard created break point.
Overhitting his forehand to drop serve, Rublev then smacked his left knee with his racquet six times. Wiping his leg with a towel didn't stop the bleeding.
Alcaraz continued to break Rublev's soul, taking it to his opponent with first-strike tennis. Keeping pressure off his serve was a big part of that front, as the 20-year-old went 32 for 34 when he put his first delivery in play. He ultimately claimed the final 12 points, with a forehand return winner to break Rublev again sandwiched in between a pair of love holds.
“You feel disappointed, especially now when you understand that the season is over and that's it basically,” Rublev said in his press conference.
“I will try to do something better than the previous two matches, and that's it.”
The two-time major winner finished with 21 winners to 11 unforced errors. Medvedev and Alexander Zverev, who edged Alcaraz in three sets Monday, will battle for the 18th time in tonight's showdown.