Zverev is the rival to beat

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Alexander Zverev landed at the Nitto ATP Finals 2024 with the label of being one of the top favorites for the title, not only because he already has two Masters trophies under his belt. Four days later, this idea has only been confirmed further with his first victory over Andrey Rublev and a second one moments ago against Casper Ruud (7-6, 6-3). A match marked by tremendous consistency, where the German excels, showing determination in critical moments that have propelled him to become the second-best player of the current season. Still undefeated in the group stage, he will have to wait and see what happens on Friday to secure his spot in the semifinals.

We expected a match of great equality with long exchanges, though ultimately we only had the former. Surely, if this had taken place on clay, the story would have been very different, but on indoor hard courts, everyone is encouraged to put a bit more pace on the ball. In this case, both players refused to give up even a single break point, holding their serves with the authority of their best days, so only a tiebreak could tip the balance in the first set. It was a matter of nuance, as Zverev took an early mini-break and that gave him the momentum to never look back. Nearly sixty minutes of play with all statistics perfectly balanced, but it was the German who struck first.

The match lived up to what is expected in a tournament of this caliber, where only the best players on the planet earn a spot. Zverev, relying on his solidity from the baseline, navigated through when he needed it most, thanks to his serve. As for Casper, we were pleasantly surprised to see him so comfortable at the net and with volleys, challenging those who still criticize his clay-court specialist label once spring is over. The reality was that from one set to the next, there were hardly any differences; both were running to accumulate games, and it felt like they hadn't even broken a sweat.

ANOTHER MOMENTOUS BITE

As the games passed, only a turning point could trigger a second set where equality was again the main factor. That moment came in the eighth game, with Zverev leading 4-3 and a service game from Ruud full of unforced errors. The gates of heaven opened for the Hamburger, who didn't hesitate to seal the victory with a love game, adding another one to his dominating stats with that lethal first shot. Two wins in two matches, without dropping a set, yet Alexander still hasn't secured his spot in the semifinals. He will have to face Carlos Alcaraz next Friday and keep an eye on the outcome of the other match between Ruud and Rublev. However, in a potential three-way tie, he currently holds the upper hand.

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