Alcaraz Triumphs Over Rublev, Zverev Defeats Ruud in ATP Finals Action

Carlos Alcaraz secured a hard-fought victory over Andrey Rublev at the ATP Finals in Turin, despite battling through an illness. The 21-year-old Spanish star, who had to cut short his practice session on Tuesday due to a chest issue, emerged with a 6-3, 7-6 (10-8) win.

In the John Newcombe Group, Alexander Zverev, the second seed, also secured his second victory of the tournament, defeating Norwegian Casper Ruud 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. Zverev will advance to the semi-finals if he beats Alcaraz in their final group stage match on Friday.

Alcaraz, who wore a pink nasal strip to aid his breathing, put in a dominant performance against Rublev. He claimed the first set in 37 minutes, breaking Rublev's serve twice to win 6-3. The second set was more competitive, as Rublev forced a tie-break, but Alcaraz triumphed 10-8, hitting 33 winners compared to Rublev's 14.

"I surprised myself the way I played from the baseline. I was really calm," Alcaraz commented after his victory. "I just focused on my game and what I have to do and forgetting I'm not feeling well."

In a show of solidarity, Alcaraz wrote "Valencia" on a TV monitor after the match to support his fellow Spaniards affected by recent floods.

The Spanish player had struggled in his opening match in Turin, losing to Ruud, but was noticeably sharper on Wednesday. After breaking Rublev's serve while down 40-15 in the first set, Alcaraz never looked back, sealing the win in straight sets.

Rublev, who has now lost six consecutive matches at the ATP Finals in straight sets since his semi-final appearance in 2022, fought hard but ultimately could not overcome Alcaraz's consistency.

Zverev, a two-time ATP Finals champion, continued his impressive form with another straight-set victory over Ruud. The match remained competitive in the first set, with both players holding serve until a tie-break, which Zverev won 7-3. The German then broke Ruud's serve at 5-3 in the second set before serving out the match to love for a 7-6, 6-3 win.

"I think it was a very good match actually from both of us," Zverev said after the match. "I'm happy to win today but it was very, very close."

Looking ahead, American Taylor Fritz will face Australian Alex de Minaur in the Ilie Nastase Group's final round match on Thursday at 13:00 GMT. World number one Jannik Sinner can secure a place in the semi-finals if he wins a set against Daniil Medvedev later that evening at 19:30 GMT.