Mon Nov 11 15:07:30 UTC 2024: ## Upset in Turin: Ruud Stuns Alcaraz at ATP Finals
**Turin, Italy** – Casper Ruud pulled off a major upset at the ATP Finals, defeating world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz 6-1, 7-5 in a thrilling match that saw the Norwegian overcome a late surge from the Spaniard.
The win marked Ruud’s first ever victory over Alcaraz, and it came in convincing fashion. The Norwegian dominated the first set, breaking Alcaraz twice and securing a 6-1 lead. Alcaraz fought back in the second set, breaking Ruud to go up 4-2, but Ruud rallied to break back twice and eventually secured the win with an ace on his third match point.
Ruud was particularly effective with his serve, hitting 11 aces and winning 82% of his first serve points. Alcaraz, on the other hand, struggled with his serve and his drop shot, which he attempted repeatedly but failed to execute successfully.
“I really returned well when I needed to,” Ruud said in a post-match interview. “When you play Carlos, you don’t want him to find rhythm. Luckily, he made a few more errors than usual.”
The victory puts Ruud in a strong position in the John Newcombe Group, which also features Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev. Alcaraz, meanwhile, will need to rebound quickly if he wants to advance to the semifinals.
“It’s only one match, but definitely one of the best wins of the season in terms of who I am playing, his level, his ranking,” Ruud added.
The ATP Finals continues with more round-robin matches throughout the week, with the top two players from each group advancing to the semifinals.
First Piper 