The Norwegian Casper Ruud defeated Canadian debutant Félix Auger-Aliassime this Sunday in the first individual match of the ATP Finals in two sets, 7-6 (4) and 6-4, after almost two hours of battle.
The event was a good start for a Ruud who is used to being present at the big events and who is participating in this meeting for the second time. In the first, the current number 4 in the ranking and third seeded in Turin, reached the semifinals, where he lost to the Russian Daniil Medvedev.
Two of the circuit's sensations this season kicked off the event that brings together the eight best rackets of the season, except for Carlos Alcaraz, absent due to injury, with an exchange of blows in which neither could prevail over the other with clarity, but in which the perseverance and regularity of the Norwegian tipped the balance in his favor.
Auger-Aliassime, number 6 in the world and fifth seed, punished a lot with the power of his serve, with up to 7 direct services for only three from Ruud in a first set that was decided, as there were no breaks, in a 'tie -break' in which the Norwegian exhibited more maturity and resistance in the rest (7-4).
Already in the second game, the equality that had reigned in the first began to falter with the passing of the games and the solidity of Ruud, who was not intimidated by the right hands of his Canadian rival.
The Canadian ended up collapsing when, with 3-3 in the light, the one from Oslo managed to break the pupil of the Spanish Toni Nadal, Rafael Nadal's uncle and mentor and director of the Rafa Nadal Academy where Ruud himself trains, and get 4-3.
The Canadian was able to react quickly, delighting the public with two precise blows but they did not serve to deal the definitive blow to the combative Norwegian, who recovered, won the game (5-3) and definitively put the victory on track, which closed shortly after .
Ruud released the tension with the last winning point that places him virtually first in the Green Group in which Nadal is framed, who debuts against the American Taylor Fritz in the second round this Sunday.
