Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud will round out the semifinals of the Nitto ATP Finals after each won Friday to win their groups in Turin, Italy.
Zverev, who hails from Germany, dispatched Carlos Alcaraz of Spain 7-6 (5) and 6-4.
It was a matchup of the No. 2 and No. 3 players in the ATP rankings, with Zverev’s win securing him the No. 2 ranking for the year.
The players are also very familiar with one another, with Zverev holding a 6-5 advantage in head-to-head matches.
“I’m thrilled to have gotten this win considering how many times he’s beaten me in crucial matches this year,” Zverev said. “We have developed a strong rivalry along with a great friendship, so it’s always a pleasure to face him on the court.”
In a match that went 1:59, Zverev led in aces 9-6 and had fewer unforced errors (25) than Alcaraz (34).
Alcaraz held serve to force a tiebreak in the first set, then went up 2-1 in the tiebreak. Zverev took the next four points, however, and won 7-5. From there, he won the first two games of the second set and kept Alcaraz behind him.
In the other match of the day, Norway’s Ruud took care of Andrey Rublev of Russia 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.
Ruud, No. 7 in the ATP rankings, kept the eighth-ranked Rublev at arm’s length in a match that lasted 1:45, scoring 15 aces while converting 3-of-4 break points.
Rublev recovered to score 19 winners in the second set while making just seven unforced errors, setting up a decisive third set. Ruud was never threatened after Rublev cut his lead to 3-2, giving up no points after that.
Zverev advances to face American Taylor Fritz, while Ruud will face world No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy.
“Knowing that tomorrow I’m playing the world No. 1, I need to be 100 percent ready,” Ruud said.
–Field Level Media
