Carlos Alcaraz was practically superhuman in his ability to recover, turning around matches after dropping a set. He then beat Casper Ruud 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the semis of the Japan Open. His win guaranteed him a place in the final. It was his 66th victory of the season, surpassing his former personal best of 65 wins this season. Taylor Fritz The reigning singles world No. 1 on the men’s side is set to face the ATP’s top American, Taylor Fritz. Fritz, last year’s champion, just beat Alcaraz at the Laver Cup earlier this month.
That quarterfinal showdown with Ruud was a masterclass in adjusting on the fly. After dropping the first set, he adjusted his tactical approach. He played much more on the front foot in the second set. He noted, “It’s just about details, so I just tried to be more positive than the first set.” His adaptation certainly won out in the end. He steamrolled a huge forehand cross court, giving him a 30-0 advantage in the most pivotal point of the match.
Alcaraz’s road to the final included one of the most electric displays ever seen in a Wimbledon quarterfinal against Brandon Nakashima. He played this amazing backhand slice that just had the thousands in attendance gasping. Commentators lauded his semifinal match against Ruud, with one stating, “What have we just watched? I don’t think it’s stretching a point to say that is one of the best games to win a match of tennis this sport has ever seen.”
Having just gone through a small injury scare ahead of the semifinals, Alcaraz looked no worse for wear and maintained composure from start to finish on Friday night. He expressed satisfaction with his performance against Ruud, saying, “I don’t think I’ve played a last game like this, so I’m really happy about it.”
As he plans for his final, Alcaraz knows what Fritz brings to the court. “I know he’s playing great tennis lately,” he remarked. Alcaraz comes into the final as a heavy favorite, reinforced by his 12-0 record and recent Novak-destroying form.
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