Carlos Alcaraz defeats Casper Ruud to win the US Open final 6&1
Carlos Alcaraz needed just one ball in his final round of the US Open to claim victory over the Australian, who had played a super solid third set.
Alcaraz, playing the way he was, took advantage of his opponent’s errors and won the match by converting a forehand into his second ace of the final set.
Alcaraz also showed that he can still put his best foot forward when it comes to the finals of major championships.
The Spaniard and his team started well enough in the second round of the US Open, taking down the Japanese pair of Nishikori and Tomoki Diez. That was as good as it got for the Spaniard, but the pair had the good fortune to get out of the opening draw at the US Open.
Alcaraz was able to play with a lead, as he did in his opening set but couldn’t match Nishikori’s consistency.
Alcaraz took a double break in the fourth set which did him no harm. He had a chance to match Nishikori again in the tiebreak, but gave up a 5-0 lead for the fifth time in the match.
The Spaniard showed determination and grit on the front half by holding onto a set point in the tiebreak. This point was vital as it gave him a chance to close and end Nishikori’s run.
Nishikori, in his last match at the US Open, was able to hold off a solid second set from the world number one.
Alcaraz didn’t take long to start putting pressure on Nishikori, winning the first six points in the final set. He then followed up with a break to set point when he could have lost the match.
Alcaraz did win the next set easily after that, winning five of the next six to claim his fourth trophy in as many years.
The Spaniard is now ranked number one in the world for the second time in his career. He will go on to play in the Australian Open this week, where he
