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Carlos Alcaraz was pleasantly surprised with his high level against Andrey Rublev in his second match of the 2024 ATP Finals amid his health struggle. The Spaniard clinched the battle 6-3. 7-6(8) to get up and running in this year's season finisher.
Alcaraz kicked off his campaign against sixth seed Ruud and was decimated by the Norwegian 1-6, 5-7. However, it was clear that the 21-year-old was struggling with some discomfort. It is also worth noting that ahead of his opening match, he was seen wearing a nose strip, which aids with breathing.
After the match, the Spaniard acknowledged that he had been struggling with some discomfort in his stomach and felt 'bad' during his encounter against Ruud. However, he decided to continue in the event but wore a nose strip as a precautionary measure as he took on Rublev in his second match.
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The World No. 3 brought some high-quality tennis to score a statement win and keep his chances in the competition alive. Here are some highlights of his play.
During the on-court interview, Carlos Alcaraz said that he was surprised by the caliber of tennis he displayed, considering he wasn't in the peak of his health. However, he boldly stated how a player must forget about their struggles once they step onto the court and that's what he tried to do.
“Yes a lot. I surprised myself with how I played from the baseline and with my serve. I was really calm. I tried to be focused on my game and forget that I’m not feeling well, that I’m sick, all that stuff. Once you step on court you have to forget everything you’re a struggling with off the court. You try to put your focus on hitting good forehands and backhands. Make good tactics. I think I did pretty well. I surprised myself.”
Carlos Alcaraz will face Alexander Zverev in his final group-stage match at ATP Finals
Carlos Alcaraz will play second seed Alexander Zverev in his final group-stage match at the 2024 ATP Finals. This will be the 11th meeting between the two men and their fourth meeting of 2024. While their overall head-to-head is tied at 5-5, the Spaniard has had the better share of wins in 2024 at 2-1.
Their first meeting of 2024 came in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open where the German prevailed in four sets. Following this, the Spaniard got his revenge in the final eight of the Indian Wells Masters in a dominant straight sets win.
Their most recent meeting came in the final of the 2024 French Open where Alcaraz turned around a 1-2 deficit to lift La Coupe des Mousquetaires after a five-set blockbuster.
Before this matchup, Zverev will play Casper Ruud in his second match of the ATP Finals group stage. He opened his campaign with a straight sets win against Andrey Rublev.
