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Casper Ruud admits there might still be things that he needs to figure out about playing Carlos Alcaraz but also warned the Spaniard he will be aiming for the win the next time they meet. Last week in Beijing, Ruud and Alcaraz clashed in the quarterfinal.
Alcaraz, who was the top-seeded player in Beijing, ousted world No 9 Ruud 6-4 6-2. Alcaraz now has a 3-0 head-to-head record against Ruud on the main level. Last year, Ruud clinched two wins over Alcaraz but those wins came at the exhibition events in Hurlingham and Abu Dhabi.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I know next time I play him I’ll know all the answers to his game. But next time I play him I’ll try to beat him. He’s one of the few guys where you really feel kind of different out there on court," Ruud said on the ATP Tennis Podcast.
Ruud suffered a straight-set loss to Alcaraz in Beijing
Ruud actually made a very positive start against Alcaraz in Beijing, taking an early 3-0 lead. But then, Ruud's game shut down as Alcaraz won six of the next seven games to overturn an early deficit and win the first set.
In the second set, Alcaraz broke Ruud in the third and seventh games to complete a routine two-set win. "I am very happy. To be able to beat a player like Casper in straight sets is really good. It means you are playing well. It is really tough, big rallies at the beggining of the match, but I am really happy with the level.
Being able to find solutions after the start of the first set. These kind of matches give you extra confidence," Alcaraz said after beating Ruud. Since Ruud suffered a surprise Shanghai Masters third-round loss to Fabian Marozsan, his chances of meeting Alcaraz this week in Shanghai ended.