Spanish world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz secured his place in the final of the Paris Masters tennis tournament (1000 points) for the first time in his career, after defeating Norway's Casper Ruud in two sets without loss on Saturday, setting up a final match against American Ben Shelton.
Alcaraz, 23 years old, took 1 hour and 26 minutes to defeat world No. 23 Ruud with a score of 6-4 and 6-4, achieving his seventh win against the Norwegian player against two losses in their head-to-head record.
Spanish dominance in sets
The Spanish player imposed his rhythm on the match from the start, despite the resistance shown by Ruud, who tried to keep up with his opponent in long rallies from the baseline, before Alcaraz managed to break his serve and take a 4-3 lead, benefiting from the accuracy and power of his shots, to win the first set 6-4 in 47 minutes.
In the second set, the competition intensified between the players, and the tie continued until the eighth game, when Alcaraz managed to break his opponent's serve and take a 5-4 lead, before holding his own serve in the next game, and finishing the set and the match with the same score of 6-4, in 39 minutes.
Historic achievements
With this victory, Alcaraz reached his sixth final of the current season and achieved his eighth consecutive win, continuing his strong performances in the final stage of the season. This will also be his first final at the Paris Masters, after failing to advance past the second round in his participation in last year's edition.
The Spaniard is also playing in his 11th final in Masters tournaments, which award the winner 1000 points in the world ranking, giving him the chance to add a new title to his record in one of the most prominent tournaments on the global tour.
Anticipated clash with Shelton
Meanwhile, American Ben Shelton reached the final after overturning a deficit against Frenchman Luca Van Assche to win in two sets to one, with a score of 5-7, 6-3, and 6-4, setting up an anticipated clash with Alcaraz for the title.
The final match gains additional importance for the Spanish player, as he seeks revenge for his loss to Shelton in the quarterfinals of the US Open (Flushing Meadows) this season, a thrilling encounter that the American won after resorting to a tiebreak in the fifth set.
Alcaraz aims to end his participation in Paris by winning his first title in the tournament and strengthening his collection of Masters titles, while Shelton hopes to achieve his first title in 1000-point tournaments and add a significant achievement to his professional career.
The final is expected to be an important milestone in the conclusion of Alcaraz's season, before he moves to the Italian city of Turin to participate in the ATP Finals, scheduled from November 15 to 22.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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