Carlos Alcaraz shrugged off feeling under the weather to deliver an impressive performance against Andrey Rublev, reigniting his ATP Finals aspirations on Wednesday. The Spanish four-time Grand Slam champion, who has been battling respiratory issues in Turin, sported pink nasal tape during his match against Rublev but emerged with a commanding 6-3, 7-6(8) victory. The third seed, aiming for his first ATP Finals title, appeared sharper than in his previous group match, which ended in a straight-sets loss to Norway's Casper Ruud.
After evenly splitting the first six games, Alcaraz broke Rublev's serve with a blistering forehand winner and then won five consecutive games to take control of the match. Rublev, the world No. 8, who also lost his opening match to Alexander Zverev, managed to keep pace with Alcaraz in the second set but missed a routine ball while chasing a drop shot at 2-2, which could have given him a couple of break points. The match concluded with high-intensity action, as Alcaraz saved two set points in the tiebreaker before securing the win. Rublev has now suffered six consecutive straight-sets losses at the ATP Finals since reaching the semi-finals in 2022.
"I surprised myself," Alcaraz, who had to abandon a practice session on Tuesday, said on court. "I just focused on my game and what I needed to do, ignoring how I was feeling. Once you're on the court, you have to forget about that. I felt good from the baseline and had more options today." Ruud will face world No. 2 Zverev later on Wednesday, with both players looking for their second win. The opening tie of the Billie Jean King Cup finals between Spain and Poland has been postponed due to a severe weather alert in the Malaga region. Organizers made the decision "based on guidance from the relevant authorities to ensure the health and safety of all participants and attendees." The match has been rescheduled for Friday, with the tournament now set to begin on Thursday with matches between Japan and Romania, and Slovenia and the United States. Twelve teams are in Malaga to compete in the women's tournament, with the men's Davis Cup final starting at the same venue the following week.
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