The context
Even before the start of hostilities, this Masters 1000 in Miami promised to be very open. Deprived of “Big 3” for various reasons – impasse of Rafael Nadal (in addition forced to rest by a cracked rib), non-vaccination of Novak Djokovic and long-term injury of Roger Federer (right knee) -, the tournament confirmed the trend of the moment, that is to say the inability of the natural heirs of the monsters, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, to assume their status.
ATP Miami
“His level of play is completely crazy”: Alcaraz still amazes
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YESTERDAY AT 08:50
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The King of Intensity knocked down the Florida King: Alcaraz’s win recap
It’s simple: the protege of Juan Carlos Ferrero, although not yet out of adolescence, seems to have all the assets of a tennis monster. His level of play and his progression in a few months make him a key player on the circuit and allow him to point 3rd in the Race (ranking since January 1). So much so that he holds the tennis keys to the upcoming final, according to most observers. And yet, his opponent this Sunday, Casper Ruud, is far from unworthy. Originally a clay-court specialist, the Norwegian has managed to assert himself on hard court for a few months (title in San Diego, semi-final at the Turin Masters).
Faller of the seeded 2 of the tournament Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals, world number 8 and more experienced at the height of his 23 years, he has assets to put forward, even if it is also about his first final in the Masters 1000. Still, his less spectacular and exciting tennis relegates him to the background. It is also perhaps under these conditions that Ruud probably expresses himself best, he who has made humility and work a credo: two values which bring the finalists together.
Face to face
This will only be the second duel on the circuit between the two men. Carlos Alcaraz had fairly easily won the first last year on clay at the ATP 250 tournament in Marbella in Spain in the quarter-finals (6-2, 6-4). They will therefore face each other for the first time on hard courts.
More aggressive and more precise: how Ruud took Zverev out in the quarter-finals
Their journey
Carlos Alcaraz
2e tour: bat Marton Fucsovics [HON] 6-3, 6-2
3e tour : bat Marin Cilic [CRO/N.21] 6-4, 6-4
1/8 of the final: bat Stefanos Tsitsipas [GRE/N.3] 7-5, 6-3
1/4 of the final: bat Miomir Kecmanovic [SER] 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(5)
1/2 final : asked Hubert Hurkacz [POL/N.8] 7-6(5), 7-6(2)
Casper Ruud
2e tour: bat Henri Laaksonen [SUI] 6-1, 6-2
3e tour : bat Alexander Bublik [KAZ/N.30] 6-3, 6-2
1/8 final: beats Cameron Norrie [GBR/N.10] 6-3, 6-4
1/4 de finale: bat Alexander Zverev [ALL/N.2] 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
1/2 finale : bat Francisco Cerundolo [ARG] 6-4, 6-1
They said
Carlos Alcaraz: “I have a lot of emotions, it’s something you dream about when you’re a kid. The audience is fantastic. I will approach the final as if it were a first round, to try to control my nervousness. What do I say to myself in important moments? I remember what my grandfather told me. These are the 3 ‘C’s: ‘cabeza, corazón, cojones’ (the head, the heart, the balls). This motto is always with me.”
Suspense, crazy points and Alcaraz defeated Kecmanovic
Casper Ruud: “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve watched those finals on TV, so it’s nice to be there myself. Alcaraz made a very good start to the season with an important title won in Rio, followed by a semi-final in Indian Wells and yet another final here. I watched the last tie-break of his match against Kecmanovic for a bit, it was amazing tennis. He’s a guy to watch for many years to come.”
Three stats to remember
11. If Carlos Alcaraz wins this Masters 1000 in Miami, he will be in 11th place in the world on Monday at the end of the first quarter of 2022. He would then only miss 29 tiny points to integrate a Top 10 which would reach out to him from the opening of the clay court season. And at Race, he would even be dolphin of his idol Rafael Nadal (1400 units behind and 50 ahead of Daniil Medvedev).
4. Carlos Alcaraz is the 4th player to play a Masters 1000 final before blowing out his 19 candles. Before him, only Michael Chang (Toronto 1990), Rafael Nadal (three times in Miami, Monte-Carlo and Rome in 2005) and… Richard Gasquet (Hamburg 2005) had succeeded. He would be the third to win such a tournament so young after Chang and Nadal and the youngest to do so in Miami.
159. To qualify for the final, Carlos Alcaraz spent 159 minutes (2h39) more on the court than Casper Ruud, the equivalent of a very close match played more or two quick matches.
Our opinion
For the second consecutive year in Miami, neither of the two finalists had the opportunity to win a title of this magnitude before. The management of emotions and the approach to the event will therefore necessarily have an impact on the result. In this little game, one would think that Casper Ruud, who has more bottle on the circuit than Carlos Alcaraz, starts with a slight advantage, but that would be underestimating the extraordinary mental strength already demonstrated by the Spaniard.
So let’s focus on pure tennis. And on this level, it must be admitted, if a player has impressed since the start of the tournament (and even the American tour), it is Carlos Alcaraz. Phenomenal in power, extraordinary in covering his ground and going from defense to attack, with remarkable composure in important moments, he already seems to have almost no flaws. And although solid and more and more efficient on hard, Ruud does not seem to have the same weapons.
In their only previous meeting barely a year ago, the Norwegian was 26th and the Spaniard only 133rd, and yet the scales had tipped heavily in his favor. Difficult to envisage another scenario, even if the context will be very different. Two elements could however work in favor of Ruud: first, the fatigue could weigh (despite the day off) and he spent less time on the court, not to mention that he was also released early in Indian Wells. Then, Alcaraz fascinates so much, it is so awaited that it is perhaps Ruud who has the least to lose, what perhaps to play liberated.
Our prediction: Carlos Alcaraz in two sets.
Carlos Alcaraz in Miami in 2022
Credit: Getty Images
ATP Miami
Fair play, Alcaraz replays a point he had won on a refereeing fault
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YESTERDAY AT 06:46
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ATP Miami
Even Hurkacz goes there: Alcaraz soars until the final
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YESTERDAY AT 04:32
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