Carlos Alcaraz played a really strong match to finally earn his first-ever win at the ATP Finals, beating Andrey Rublev in straight sets.
The Spaniard played a really solid match in the opening round as well but simply couldn't overcome the tremendous serve of Alexander Zverev. He didn't face that type of serve today, and it made all the difference as he had more chances to dominate in the rallies.
Rublev played in the semi-finals last year, but that won't be happening this year, as he's now officially out. A loss to Daniil Medvedev, and now this one seals his fate, though he'll have a chance to win a match in the final round. He was pretty good here but simply not good enough.
The opening set almost went to a tiebreak as both players dominated on their serve. Alcaraz was just too perfect for overcoming in this set; there was just nothing Rublev could do. The Spaniard finished with five aces and dropped only one point behind his first serve, four overall.
He had 12 winners and zero unforced errors, and that's just absurd. Rublev was pretty good, with 13 winners and three unforced errors. The second set wasn't that much different because Alcaraz played really well while Rublev kind of faded.
The Russian lost his cool, and the ball way flying all over, giving the Spaniard an early break. That basically sealed the match for Alcaraz, who would finish it off a couple of games later with another break.
The final score was 7-5 6-2 for the Spaniard as he finished with 19 winners and two unforced errors. He will face Daniil Medvedev in the final round in a match that might be pivotal for both players.
When you add the US Open loss he had against Medvedev in the mix, it should be one match Alcaraz will want to win at all costs.
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