Carlos Alcaraz overcame bad health to get the better of Andrey Rublev in the group match of the ATP Finals 2024 in Turin. On Wednesday, November 13, the Spaniard beat his Russian opponent 6-3 7-6 (8) in the John Newcombe Group. Earlier in his match against Casper Ruud, Alcaraz did not look on top of his health and ended up losing the match in straight sets.
Against Rublev, Alcaraz suffered from respiratory issues and wore pink nasal tape. But he somehow found a way to come up trumps. With the win, Alcaraz went to the top of the table. Alcaraz also had to abandon a practice session on Tuesday.
“I did surprise myself. I just tried to focus on my game and what I had to do and not that I wasn’t feeling well. Once you step on court you have to forget that. I felt good from the baseline running and felt I had more options today,” Alcaraz said in the on-court interview.
World No. 8 Andrey Rublev, who had also been defeated in his opening match by Alexander Zverev, held his ground against Carlos Alcaraz in the second set. He nearly secured two break points at 2-2 but missed a routine shot after reaching a drop shot.
Both players delivered strong serves, pushing the match to an intense tiebreak. Alcaraz took the lead but had to fend off two set points before clinching the victory.
Rublev has now endured six consecutive straight-set defeats at the ATP Finals since his semi-final appearance in 2022. Alcaraz will likely still need to beat world number two Zverev in his final group match on Friday to advance.
Zverev will play against Ruud later on Wednesday, with both aiming for a second win. If Ruud secures a victory, he would clinch a spot in the semi-finals, which would also eliminate Rublev from contention.
