Match Preview
Alcaraz & Rublev meet once more in Turin
Zverev, Ruud sq. off in night session
November 12, 2024
ATP
Carlos Alcaraz and Andrey Rublev are degree at 1-1 of their Lexus ATP Head2Head sequence.
By ATP Workers
The 2024 Nitto ATP Finals proceed to shut in on the knockout rounds with Wednesday’s motion, as gamers within the John Newcombe Group take to the Inalpi Enviornment for his or her second round-robin matches.
Carlos Alcaraz and Andrey Rublev each search their first wins of the week in a important afternoon matchup, earlier than Day 2 winners Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud battle it out within the night for prime spot within the group. The Day 4 doubles motion will see prime seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic face Matthew Ebden and Rohan Bopanna, earlier than Italians Andrea Vavassori and Simone Bolelli play Germans Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz.
[3] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs. [8] Andrey Rublev
Alcaraz struggled with lingering results of a abdomen sickness in his opening defeat to Ruud, however the round-robin format of the Nitto ATP Finals might present the remedy. Relatively than being despatched dwelling along with his opening defeat, the No. 3 within the PIF ATP Rankings has an opportunity to get well and advance to the knockout rounds in Turin.
“Given how I’ve felt, it’s troublesome to consider the semis,” Alcaraz mentioned on Monday. “The nice factor on this sport is that your sport can really feel very unhealthy in the future and excellent the subsequent.”
Final yr in his Turin debut, Alcaraz misplaced to Zverev in his opening match earlier than rebounding to achieve the semis. He started to show his match round by beating Rublev of their first Lexus ATP Head2Head assembly.
“There have been many gamers who’ve misplaced the primary match of the [Nitto] ATP Finals and ended up successful,” Alcaraz identified. “Now I wish to take it daily, to really feel higher, and see how the subsequent match is. I’ll strategy it as finest I can. Let’s hope issues end up effectively.”
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Rublev avenged his Turin defeat to Alcaraz by beating the Spaniard en path to successful the Madrid ATP Masters 1000 crown this season. Satirically, it was Rublev who was feeling sick within the buildup to that occasion.
“In the long run I suppose it pressured me to play far more free, as a result of the one manner I might in some way win the matches was to play aggressive and attempt to run much less,” Rublev lately advised ATPTour.com, recapping his yr.
Rublev by no means wants an excuse to play attacking tennis, however his expertise towards Alcaraz in Madrid might result in a equally all-out strategy in Turin. In fast circumstances on the Inalpi Enviornment, whoever can throw the primary punch within the rallies might knock out his opponent on this heavyweight battle.
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[2] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs. [6] Casper Ruud [NOR]
Whereas this will probably be their first Lexus ATP Head2Head assembly in Turin, Zverev and Ruud have performed solely on the sport’s largest levels of their 5 earlier encounters. After assembly on the ATP Masters 1000s in Cincinnati, Paris and Miami, they cut up a pair of Roland Garros semi-finals in 2023 and 2024. Zverev leads the sequence 3-2, together with the win that despatched him by to his first Roland Garros last this yr.
Zverev didn’t face a break level in his opening Turin win towards Rublev, in keeping with Infosys ATP Stats. He additionally transformed on each of his break alternatives in an environment friendly and commanding opening efficiency. Greater than some other competitor this yr, the two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion is aware of the system for achievement on the season finale.
“Towards anybody right here, it’s a must to play your finest to have an opportunity, it’s a must to be stable [and] mentally robust,” he mentioned after his opening win. “I really feel like I did that right now, I felt like I used my possibilities fairly effectively and I am clearly pleased with this win.”
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Ruud was much more happy along with his opening victory towards Alcaraz, even accounting for the Spaniard’s off day.
“It’s just one match, however it’s undoubtedly among the finest wins of the season for me,” he mentioned. “I’ve not been [full of] confidence previously weeks or months, so it was an amazing win for me and hopefully I can construct on it, and I wish to get some extra wins whereas I’m in Turin.”
Each Zverev and Ruud might want to recalibrate their video games after taking up aggressive opponents of their first match. Whereas each gamers pack loads of punch — notably in Zverev’s serve and Ruud’s forehand — they’re extra content material to bide their time within the rallies as they prod for a bonus.
The results of this chess match will decide who ends Wednesday in first place within the John Newcombe Group with a 2-0 file. Whereas the winner will probably be in pole place to achieve the knockout stage, the loser might face a must-win scenario in his last round-robin match.
Doubles Motion
High seeds Arevalo and Pavic bid to bounce again from a gap defeat to Krawietz and Puetz on Day 4. The El Salvadoran/Croatian group, champions at Roland Garros and Cincinnati this yr, will tackle sixth seeds Bopanna and Ebden, who gained the Australian Open and Miami in 2024. Neither group took a set of their opening match.
House favourites Bolelli and Vavassori hope to proceed the Italian success in Turin after they tackle Krawietz and Puetz. Bolelli and Vavassori are bidding to match what the Germans did this yr in Hamburg by successful a title on their very own dwelling soil.