Day 6 in Turin completed Group John Newcombe, as Sascha Zverev and Casper Ruud qualified for Saturday’s semi-finals at the 2024 ATP finals.
In the afternoon session, Zverev took on Alcaraz and maintained his perfect record, coming through a high-quality match 7-6(5) 6-4.
Despite some claims to the contrary, Alcaraz’s loss meant he was out. The evening match between Rublev and Ruud would see the Norwegian progress by winning a set, or eight games. Rublev needed a straight-sets win without dropping more than six games.
Once the Russian dropped the opening set, the match was a dead rubber. Despite that, the 8th seed forced a decider, but Ruud eventually came through 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 to finish second in the group.
Nitto ATP Finals 2024 Day 6 Results
| Winner | Loser | Scoreline |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Zverev (2) | Carlos Alcaraz (3) | 7-6(5) 6-4 |
| Andrey Rublev (8) | Casper Ruud (6) | 6-4 5-7 6-2 |
Zverev Dominates Alcaraz to Secure Top Spot in Turin, Sets Fritz Showdown
Alexander Zverev continued his hot streak at the ATP Finals, extending his winning run to eight matches with a 7-6(5), 6-4 victory over Carlos Alcaraz.
The German’s straight-set win ensured a first-place finish in the John Newcombe Group, securing a semi-final clash with Taylor Fritz.
Zverev, who had lost to Alcaraz in the Roland Garros final earlier this year, was clinical in his performance, sealing his semi-final spot after one hour and 57 minutes.
So far, the ATP finals have produced no real notable matches, but this was by far the best-quality encounter we’ve seen.
Zverev created six break points across his opening two return games, but Alcaraz held firm, showing flashes of brilliance to keep parity.
However, Zverev’s serve has been devastating this year, and in a high-level tie-break, he paired that with some powerful groundstrokes to capture the opening set.
The second set saw Zverev break Alcaraz early and stave off his opponent’s attempts at a comeback. With nine aces and a solid 73% win rate on first serve, Zverev held firm and closed out the match in style.
I also thought this was Alcaraz’s best match of the three he’s played this week, and some of the points he produced were top-drawer.
He beat me too many times this year in important matches, so I’m happy that I got this one. Obviously I feel like we have a pretty good rivalry with a great friendship as well, so it’s always nice to play against him… Just sharing the court with him. He’s a great guy and I’m looking forward to the next matches with him as well. It’s been three fantastic matches. I’m certainly happy with being 3-0 in the group, but I think now the semi-final will be very difficult. [Taylor] beat me the past few times at the Slams, so I’m looking forward to that match Zverev on his win.
Match Stats
| Alexander Zverev | Carlos Alcaraz | |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 9 | 6 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 0 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 86% | 68% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 73% (44/60) | 68% (42/62) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 80% (8/10) | 52% (15/29) |
| Break Points Saved | 100% (2/2) | 89% (8/9) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 32% (20/62) | 27% (16/60) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 48% (14/29) | 50% (5/10) |
| Break Points Converted | 11% (1/9) | 0% (0/2) |
| Winners | 29 | 26 |
| Unforced Errors | 21 | 22 |
| Net Points Won | 55% (12/22) | 70% (19/27) |
| Service Points Won | 71% (50/70) | 62% (54/87) |
| Return Points Won | 38% (33/87) | 29% (20/70) |
| Total Points Won | 53% (83/157) | 47% (74/157) |
| Service Games Won | 100% (11/11) | 91% (10/11) |
| Return Games Won | 9% (1/11) | 0% (0/11) |
| Total Games Won | 55% (12/22) | 45% (10/22) |
Highlights
Ruud Secures Semi-Final Spot, Ends Rublev’s Nitto ATP Finals Hopes
Casper Ruud is into the semi-finals at the end-of-season championships for the third time thanks to his 6-4 5-7 6-2 win over Andrey Rublev in Friday’s evening match at the Inalpi Arena.
Heading into the tie, the Norwegian had a simple equation for reaching the last four: win at least a set or win eight games. He opted for the former, capturing the opener 6-4 to set up a showdown with Jannik Sinner.
From there, the match was essentially meaningless, but Rublev didn’t roll over, winning the second set with some aggressive play before Ruud ran away with the decider to come through in 1 hour and 44 minutes.
Given his form, Ruud is an unlikely semi-finalist, but he’s quietly gone about his business, and behind Sinner and Zverev, he’s played the best tennis this week. Check his one-handed backhand flicked pass in the highlights below.
Rublev heads home with zero wins in his three matches, and his season tailed off after winning the Madrid Masters. Will he heed Marat Safin’s advice and change his game during the off-season?
Match Stats
| Casper Ruud | Andrey Rublev | |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 15 | 10 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 3 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 75% | 57% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 80% (51/64) | 77% (33/43) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 38% (8/21) | 52% (17/33) |
| Break Points Saved | 75% (3/4) | 25% (1/4) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 23% (10/43) | 20% (13/64) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 48% (16/33) | 62% (13/21) |
| Break Points Converted | 75% (3/4) | 25% (1/4) |
| Winners | 32 | 34 |
| Unforced Errors | 18 | 27 |
| Net Points Won | 90% (9/10) | 73% (8/11) |
| Service Points Won | 69% (59/85) | 66% (50/76) |
| Return Points Won | 34% (26/76) | 31% (26/85) |
| Total Points Won | 53% (85/161) | 47% (76/161) |
| Service Games Won | 93% (14/15) | 80% (12/15) |
| Return Games Won | 20% (3/15) | 7% (1/15) |
| Total Games Won | 57% (17/30) | 43% (13/30) |
Highlights
Final Group Standings
Ilie Nastase Group
| Position | Player | Match W/L | Set W/L | Set W% | Game W/L | Game W% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | 3-0 | 6-0 | 100% | 36-22 | 62/07% |
| 2 | Taylor Fritz | 2-1 | 4-3 | 57.14% | 37-33 | 52.86 |
| 3 | Daniil Medvedev | 1-2 | 2-4 | 33.33% | 26-30 | 46.43% |
| 4 | Alex de Minaur | 0-3 | 1-6 | 14.29% | 27-41 | 39.71% |
John Newcombe Group
| Position | Players | Match W/L | Set W/L | Set W% | Game W/L | Game W% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexander Zverev | 3-0 | 6-0 | 100% | 36-22 | 58.46% |
| 2 | Casper Ruud | 2-1 | 4-3 | 57.14% | 39-32 | 54.93% |
| 3 | Carlos Alcaraz | 1-2 | 2-4 | 33.33% | 29-35 | 45.31% |
| 4 | Andrey Rublev | 0-3 | 2-6 | 14.29% | 30-42 | 41.67% |
ATP Finals 2024 Semi-Final Lineup
- Alexander Zverev (2) vs Taylor Fritz (5)
- Jannik Sinner (1) vs Casper Ruud (6)
Who makes the final? Let me know in the comments.