The Spanish four-times Grand Slam champion has been suffering with respiratory issues in Turin and wore pink nasal tape against Rublev in a resounding 6-3 7-6(8) victory.
Third seed Alcaraz, bidding to win the title for the first time, looked far sharper than during his opening group match which ended in a straight-sets defeat by Norway’s Casper Ruud.
“I did surprise myself,” Alcaraz, who had to abandon a practice session on Tuesday, said on court. “I just tried to focus on my game and what I had to do and not that I wasn’t feeling well. Once you step on court you have to forget that.
“I felt good from the baseline running and felt I had more options today.”
After sharing the opening six games, Alcaraz broke Rublev’s serve with a scorching forehand winner and reeled off five successive games to seize control of the match.
World number eight Rublev, who also lost his opening match to Alexander Zverev, managed to stay with Alcaraz in the second set and could have earned a couple of break points at 2-2 had he not missed a routine ball after chasing a drop shot.
Both players served well to take the match into a high-octane tiebreak in which Alcaraz forged ahead but had to fend off two set points before sealing victory.
Rublev has now lost six successive matches at the ATP Finals in straight sets since reaching the semi-finals in 2022. Alcaraz is still likely to need to beat world number two Zverev in his last group match tomorrow to qualify.
Zverev will face Ruud later on Wednesday with both players seeking their second win. Should Ruud win, he would guarantee himself a semi-final berth while Rublev would be eliminated.
None of the seven singles matches this week have gone to three sets.
BJK Cup action postponed due to extreme weather
The Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Malaga which were due to begin yesterday were postponed after Spanish authorities issued a red weather alert for extreme rain and flooding in parts of the country, the International Tennis Federation said.
Two weeks after the worst floods in Spain’s modern history killed more than 200 people, thousands have been evacuated in the Costa del Sol region of southern Spain as the new weather front is expected to bring torrential rain and low temperatures.
“Due to a severe weather alert issued by local and regional authorities, the 2024 BJK Cup Finals first round tie between Spain and Poland, originally scheduled for today, November 13 at 5 PM, has been postponed. The tie will now take place on Friday, November 15, starting at 10 AM,” the ITF said in a statement yesterday. “This decision has been made based on guidance from the relevant authorities to ensure the health and safety of all participants and attendees. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding and co-operation.”
Hosts Spain were scheduled to begin the tournament against Iga Swiatek’s Poland as twelve teams assembled in Andalusia to battle for the title won last year for the first time by Canada.
The last couple of days of the BJK Cup would overlap with the men’s Davis Cup Finals in the same venue next week, when Spanish great Rafael Nadal is expected to play his last tournament before retiring.
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