Why ‘unhappy’ Carlos Alcaraz will step into the unknown to save his ATP Finals hopes
Carlos Alcaraz will be entering new territory as he aims to keep his ATP Finals hopes alive on Wednesday.
Alcaraz slumped to a defeat against Alexander Zverev in his opening match in Turin, with his hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals now resting on a match against a player he has yet to face in his career.
Andrey Rublev will now face Alcaraz in a match both players need to win to stay on track at the ATP Finals, with the duo set to meet on court for the first time in their careers.
Daniil Medvedev lost to Rublev at the same stage 12 months ago, but he gained revenge against his fellow Russian and close friend on Monday, who committed several unforced errors to drop serve in the seventh game of the first set.
Medvedev resisted an onslaught from his opponent, saving seven break points in his next two service games, to forge a one-set lead.
It was a convincing 6-4 6-2 win for Medvedev confirming he will be a strong contender to win the ATP Finals on a fast court that may suit his game.
That same does not appear to be true for Alcaraz, who was not happy with the conditions in Turin after he lost against Zverev.
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“I don’t know why they put this kind of surface at the end of the year because all the tournaments that we have played on hard court is so, so slow,” said Alcaraz.
“Then we come here to the (ATP Finals) and they put this court, so fast. I don’t know why.”
Alcaraz went in to paint an upbeat picture of his hopes of qualifying, as he looked to the round-robin format to give him a route to success.
“It’s the only tournament where a loss does not knock you out,” continued Alcaraz.
“I still have a chance to continue improving and to get through the group stage.
“Tomorrow I’ll practise to improve everything that I didn’t do well (against Zverev), which is a lot.
“Even though the court is very fast, I need to be more consistent. At the end of the second set and the start of the third, I hit three or four shots out straight away.
“That can’t happen, although everyone has their own style. I watch Novak, for example, and he doesn’t give anything away straight away. My consistency was really lacking against Zverev.”
Alcaraz went on to suggest he is ready for the challenge of facing Rublev and Medvedev, knowing two wins will be needed to get through to the weekend.
READ MORE: Has Carlos Alcaraz already lost a big weapon after ATP Finals defeat?
“I’ve been training pretty well, feeling good,” added Alcaraz. “I was feeling good physically and still am, but after the defeat, I don’t feel good in terms of my tennis level.
“It’s been a long and demanding year. I have to improve to get to this point of the season in better conditions, above all mentally. It’s probably mental fatigue.
“If I want to win this tournament, I have to get to this point of the year relaxed with a desire to win everything that is put in front of me,” he declared.
“At least I know exactly what is happening and what I have to improve on. I will have to get to work.
“I’m getting increasingly better at facing this kind of player, and even more so here, where every match could be a Grand Slam final.”
Alcaraz remains upbeat, but the reality is he is up against it in his battle to keep his season alive for an extra few days.
