The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings overcame a resilient Casper Ruud<\/a> and his own fitness concerns to secure a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory at the ATP 500 event. Alcaraz, who displayed limited movement at times during the opening set, eventually rediscovered his sharpness to set up a title showdown with former Tokyo champion Taylor Fritz<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI had a lot of chances in the first set,\u201d said Alcaraz. \u201cI had four break points if I’m not wrong. It\u2019s just about details, so I just tried to be more positive than the first set. I was a little bit mad with myself, so I just tried to play with joy again, putting a lot of positive thoughts in my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n With his two-hour, eight-minute victory, Alcaraz notched his personal-best 66th win in a season. On Tuesday, the 22-year-old Spaniard will seek revenge against Fritz, who defeated him at the Laver Cup<\/a> last week.<\/p>\n \u201cI know he\u2019s playing great tennis lately,\u201d Alcaraz said of Fritz, who also defeated Alexander Zverev<\/a> in San Francisco. \u201cSince the Laver Cup<\/a> against me, against Zverev, and here in this tournament, he\u2019s feeling great and really comfortable on the court. Everything is different since San Francisco… But it\u2019s another challenge for me and I\u2019m looking forward to it.\u201d<\/p>\n Since tweaking his left ankle in his Tokyo opener against Sebastian Baez<\/a>, Alcaraz had downplayed concerns and proved it with assertive wins. Yet against Ruud, who tested him relentlessly with heavy topspin and court-stretching angles, the Spaniard\u2019s discomfort was more apparent.<\/p>\n Facing break point in the seventh game, Ruud attacked with a deep approach into Alcaraz\u2019s backhand corner. Though he got the ball back at his opponent\u2019s feet, Alcaraz hesitated when stretching for that ball and chasing the ensuing drop volley \u2014 a moment of vulnerability that underscored his struggles in the first set.<\/p>\n Watch Alcaraz struggle to deal with Ruud on break point:<\/p>\n Alcaraz\u2019s aggressive, risk-heavy tactics in the first set yielded 15 unforced errors, but he recalibrated in the second, finding consistency on serve: He dropped just four of 24 points behind his delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats, to overwhelm Ruud and level the match.<\/p>\n From there, Alcaraz carried that momentum into the deciding set, where he showcased his freedom of movement and fearless shotmaking, silencing any injury doubts. To overcome Fritz in the final, however, the Spaniard will need another commanding serving performance against one of the Tour\u2019s most formidable servers.<\/p>\n Despite defeat, Ruud has risen two spots to 11th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as the former finalist seeks to return to the Nitto ATP Finals<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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