ATP Finals: Alexander Zverev’s impressive form continues with commanding win over Casper Ruud

Alexander Zverev defeats Casper Ruud 7-6(3), 6-3 to earn his second win at the ATP Finals. The German extends his winning streak to seven matches, having only dropped one set, and now leads the John Newcombe Group.

The world No. 2 hasn’t yet secured his spot in the semifinals mathematically, though only a disaster could keep him out. In his upcoming match against Alcaraz, he needs just one set to advance, and even if he loses in straight sets, Ruud would need a decisive victory over Andrey Rublev to progress.

In the first set, Ruud started aggressively, serving at a high level. The Norwegian played assertively, with strong serving, and seemed calmer than Zverev, who got into a couple of disputes with the chair umpire in the opening 20 minutes and appeared frustrated.

Ruud aimed to avoid cross-court backhand rallies, given Zverev's clear superiority in those exchanges. Nevertheless, he managed to hold his service games without posing much threat to his opponent’s. Ruud’s first serve effectiveness wasn’t enough in the crucial moments. With no breaks throughout the set, it went to a tie-break. Zverev won a mini-break on the first point, took a 3-0 lead, and remained dominant, eventually clinching the set 7-6(3).

Zverev achieved an impressive 92% of points won on his first serve, compared to Ruud's 79%. Furthermore, ‘Sascha’ was much more aggressive, hitting 19 winners to the Norwegian’s 8.

In the second set, both players maintained steady service games, with Ruud winning 62% of his service points compared to Zverev's impressive 83%. Things remained close until Ruud, down 3-4, committed unforced forehand errors, allowing world No. 2 Zverev to break on his first opportunity.

In the end, Zverev claimed victory 7-6(3), 6-3 and is in a strong position to advance to the semifinals. His final Round Robin match will be against none other than Carlos Alcaraz. While the Spaniard had a lackluster performance in his first match, he displayed dominance against Rublev. Alcaraz must win to advance, while Zverev has a bit more room for error. Meanwhile, Ruud will face Andrey Rublev and needs a solid win to stay in contention.