Some thought that Casper Ruud was a clay-court specialist. Others thought that Carlos Alcaraz was still a year or two away from stardom.
Wrong on both counts.
Ruud and Alcaraz will battle for the Miami Open title on Sunday afternoon, with both players making their debut appearances in a final at the Masters 1000 level. Ruud is 7-2 lifetime in ATP finals, all of which have come at 250 tournaments. Alcaraz, who is only 18 years old, is 17-2 this season and already owns a 500-point title (Rio de Janeiro).
This marks their second head-to-head meeting, as they squared off last spring on the red clay of Marbella and Alcaraz rolled 6-2, 6-4.
“I barely had any chance at all,” Ruud admitted. “He was just coming out firing flames at me.”
Alcaraz has been doing that against just about everyone in 2022. Only Matteo Berrettini (Australian Open) and Rafael Nadal (Indian Wells) have managed to withstand the teenager’s onslaught. Miomir Kecmanovic and Hubert Kecmanovic came close in the Miami quarters and semis, respectively, but nobody has been able to stop Alcaraz this fortnight. The world No. 16 preceded those victories with straight-set defeats of Marton Fucsovics, Marin Cilic, and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Prior to 2021, Ruud was 16-27 lifetime in ATP hard-court matches. He is since 36-13. The turnaround that began last year included a title in San Diego and a semifinal showing at the Nitto ATP Finals. Continuing to thrive on hard courts while also benefiting from relatively slow Miami conditions, the eighth-ranked Norwegian has advanced so far this fortnight by taking out Henri Laaksonen, Alexander Bublik, Cameron Norrie, Alexander Zverev, and Francisco Cerundolo.
It has been a mostly favorable draw for Ruud and you might think that getting to play the No. 14 seed in the final is a continuation of that trend. But people have thought wrong about these guys in the past, and that mistake won’t be made again. It’s clear that Alcaraz represents a nightmare matchup for Ruud–and for just about anyone else these days.
Alcaraz is having no trouble blasting winners from all directions through these slow conditions. Moreover, he will benefit from a much-needed day of rest following hard-fought contests against Kecmanovic and Hurkacz on Thursday and Friday.
Ruud may be on a roll, himself, but Alcaraz is simply at a different level.
Pick: Alcaraz in 2
WWW?
Rudd will get the upset here and I hope he does .
What kind of tennis fan wants the Ruud upset you weirdo.
Why are you so rude to someone you don’t know?
Sanju is actually usually very fair and has the virtue of being honest and saying straight up what he feels.
He is one of the best posters on this site.
Thanks Amy for standing up but frankly I give a rats ass to these anonymous trolls who try to spew shit behind a laptop or mobile screen..
Having said that ..go Casper 🙂
I can say anything I want and predict any winner ,this site allows that ..i don’t comment on others predictions ..so u better stfu ..is there a rule I need to support Alcaraz ..i don’t like Alcaraz period and I have been open n vocal about it and I even said the reason I don’t support him . I cannot support Carlitos till Rafa is playing ..
Back off! People here are entitled to express their opinions, whether you like it or not!
Sanju has been here a long time. He is a good and decent poster.
Agree” “Alcaraz at a different level”….in 2.
Ruud is more of a flat track bully Alcaraz much more potential
Here it looks like Alcaraz is a future GS winner and number 1 but he sprays excessive unforced groundstroke errors now and is only average for a top 20 in return of serve. Tomorrow’s final is a pick ’em
Med has tweeted that the last months he has been playing with a small hernia and is going to get it fixed so will be out for 1-2 months.
I guess this could mean he misses RG.
Yes but he anyway would not do much on clay anyway
That may explain why he has not looked that great. Missing playing on his weakest surface is not the worst thing. He needs to take the time to deal with it and come back healthy.
Somehow Rafa needs to be no 2 before french ..
How many is zverev defending vs rafa before french ..Rafa won rome n zverev Madrid ..Rafa lost qtrs of Madrid n zverev qtrs of rome. I remember that much .
Rafa defending 680 between MC and Barcelona which he will lose since he does not play
If you are a hardcore tennis fan this match should be very fascinating as there are many factors/variables at play here, for instance Ruud has a real knack for performing in finals, I’m not sure where his HC level is at since he beat an injured Norrie and a not 100% Zverev, but Ruud himself came back from injury this season and in his 1st event back got the title, Alcaraz seems to not have full experience on tour in these situations yet, since Kecmanovic came within 2 points of taking him out, then maybe Kec was playing some great ball too, so I’m liking that Ruud gets it done in finals and Alcaraz has been wobbling the past couple of matches, not sure he’ll have enough physically to get over the line, so Ruud in 3.
PS people still think Alcaraz is a clay specialist.
Alcaraz in 3, maybe 2.
Intensity, focus, toughness….Alcaraz a special player…in 2.
First off I’d like to say that this forum is the only place, well apart from YouTube, where I post about tennis. I feel very comfortable posting here and over the years I feel like I have developed a wonderful camaraderie with the posters here!! Most posters r very knowledgeable, friendly and respectful, and to the point where I even feel like we’re a little tennis family. So whenever I read some swear word or an aggressive post, more often than not, it comes from a “new” poster!! Those of us who are resident on this site have managed to keep things really cordial even when we disagree! I would hate for that to change bcoz I really love it here! There is no need to be rude to someone bcoz you don’t like or agree with their post!!! Let’s keep it groovy guys!
And yeah, as for the match today, I really don’t have a horse in this race if truth be told, I’m just looking forward to some great tennis! I would love it to go to three sets, the more tennis the better (except if Rafa is playing then I’d want him to win quickly 🤣🤪😂)!!!
Boy by the looks of things Alcaraz will soon be #1 by the end of year!!!! No one can beat this guy, lol!!! He’s truly the real deal!!!
He’ll very likely be in the top 8 by RG.
Thank God! That means Rafa can’t play him before the qf. I wouldn’t want him to have to play Alcaraz early on. Hope he is in Novax’s quarter!😀😀
However, I don’t believe he can beat Rafole in a slam yet unless they are compromised by injury.
He can beat anyone else but honestly that’s not saying much given how poorly and erratically many of the top 15 are playing.
I don’t mean to put him down though. I think he is definitely the real deal.
Ruud isn’t really that good imo…
According to Sean on TDTBlog this could not only be a future RG final but could be the final this year!😕😕
Not if Rafole are playing it won’t!!
Don’t know what he’s been smoking…
What a boring final. Ruud is atrocious. Don’t understand the hype about this alcaraz. Nothing spectacular. If medvedev can screw his head back on, he would have been dominating this tournament and the hard courts outside Rafa. But ofcourse, he becomes no 1 then turns into a mess. Some Rafa fans are already afraid of alcaraz for Rafa. Instead of being worried of real threats like Djokovic and thiem, we are terrified of alcaraz. Any new player that comes up and is good, here we go being terrified for Rafa about that player. Djokovic fans would never even think that and because of their supreme confidence on their great player, they are already predicting djoko will win French open, Wimbledon and US open as if Nadal doesn’t even exist. If only we can have even an iota of such faith in our player. Honestly….
I just said he won’t beat Rafa or Novax in a slam!
How is Thiem a threat?! He hasn’t played for a year and lost his first match back in Marbella to someone I have never heard of! Then he announced he has caught covid. He isn’t going to be a realistic challenger at RG.
It’s Novax who is the player to beat.
Happy!!! Nole has been #1 for years now so it’s a no brainer to think he will win everything!! He won 3 slams last year including RG! So of course Nole”s fans will say that, as they have always!! However, with Rafa”s injury and Carlos” results this year he IS a threat to anyone!! I am not saying he is better than Rafa I am just saying he is a threat, an additional threat!! One that Rafa can do without given his age and propensity for injury!!
All year I’ve been hearing people keep saying other players are better than Nole, Kyrgios said Medvedev is better, now people on here are saying Alcaraz is better, and I just keep laughing cause it’s all just talk, Nole has been and is still the best until someone else actually proves otherwise.
How easy it is for people to say other players are better than Nole when Nole hasn’t been allowed to play.
Thiem just lost to someone I have never heard of in Marbella and now he has covid. He is very unlikely to be a real contender at RG after so long…
might not even play
Why do we want to be like Mole Farm?! They are borderline insane for the most part…
Happy,
Thank you! I M so glad someone said it! It is ridiculous to worry about Alcaraz against Rafa at RG! What are some people thinking? Novak isn’t going anywhere either.
This kid wins a Masters 1000 and now he is a threat at RG? That is just absurd! Let’s not hand him something he has not won!
The other young guys don’t seem to be in guys firm right now, so there is a vacuum. Alcaraz has filled it. Now we have to see if he can keep it up in the clay season. But the hype is just over the top. I think he couldbe the real thing. But to start acting like he will win everything is just nonsense.
I have seen too many young guys come on strong in the beginning, only to crash and burn. The history of this sport is littered with them. So we need to just put it in perspective.
I agree with you about Ruud. Atrocious. Meddy supposedly has a hernia issue which he needs to take care of. Ricky took issue with me criticizing him for nit being able to handle being # 1. We will see if he can get it together. He was the best player up until Rafa came back and Alcaraz got on a hot streak.
Zverev, Tsitsipas have not looked very consistent. But things don’t stay static in tennis. I agree that some arafa fans freak out about the next big thing in tennis. Rafa and Novak may be getting old, but they are not great champions for nothing. Rafa showed us that when he came back after six months off.
I dislike it when people start giving wins to a player. Let him go out there and see if he can keep it up. Rafa and Novak have the kind of longevity that most players can only dream about. We should not forget that.
Autocorrect! The other guys don’t seem to be in GOOD FORM right now.
Congrats to Carlos Alcaraz, for winning his first Masters. Well done.
Casper Ruud plays well too, no wonder he’s in the final, beating Zverev along the way. He’s quite a charming guy!
Ha ha Happy, I agree. We need to be more positive when it comes to our Rafa, especially when he is playing so well lately. It’s not like Alcaraz is unbeatable, when Rafa despite feeling pain in his chest, still was able to beat this Alcaraz on the HC at IW.
In the past when Rafa was down with injuries, I wouldve such negative feelings but each time, he came back stronger and better (2015 being the exception).
I think Rafa will be fit and ready when the clay season comes, probably will be playing at Madrid for a start. I know he will play better than last year on clay, so I’m positive about his chances at RG, and even beyond that!
Med has got a hernia! More to do with it than being No1?
Yes Amy, ure right though!! One thing I realize is his serves r erratic but many of his competitors don’t have ROS like Rafole!!! That’s y he is able to hold even if he is not serving well!! Would be very interesting to c how he fairs against Nole. Rudd”s ROS is abysmal on this match, kick serve or no!!
U keep hearing the commies saying there is no hole in Carlos”s game but it depends on who he’s playing! I know in a GS he will be exposed!
However, as much as I like him, he is making me a we bit nervous now especially with the clay season approaching 😂
Novax will eat his serve for breakfast Mona!
The main thing for RG is that Novax and Rafa are on opposite sides. I don’t want them playing some horrible night match again…
People are getting very carried away Mona! I just had a look at BG’s twitter and he and Kafelnikov are suggesting he will soon be second fave with the bookies. There is absolutely no way he will be favoured above Rafole at RG.
Best of 5 is completely different.
Amy, they have always done that with a newbie!! But look at Carlos” results this year!!! He’s beating everyone!!! He is second in the race and who knows which Novak will show up after such a long lay off!! Trust me, the locker room is taking notice!!
I would be interested to hear Ricky’s and Cheryl’s opinion Mona!
But you had better be careful what you say or Happy may become so apoplectic he will spontaneously combust..!😀
I agree about people getting carried away. While it is to be expected to jump on someone’s bandwagon, it is still disappointing. It’s not like Rafa and Novak are going to roll over for this kid.
Happy is right! He is not going to combust. He is just a much needed voice of reality right now.
Rafa better not wind up in Novak’s half at RG.
I am looking forward to seeing Rafa again. So pardon me if I don’t join in with the hype fest.
Who does he replace ? Rafa or Novak
Yes the hype is just crazy
Rafa won 11 titles in 2005 his breakout year ..I wonder if there was even 25 pc hype then..ofcourse no much social media
Well first thing first, lets Hope Rafa is fit enough to play RG!! Meddy is out with hernia issues so at least there’s that!
Nevertheless, I was more hoping Rafa wins another Wimby rather than RG though!! But at this stage the more GSs the better!!
Congrats to Carlos Alcaraz, for winning his first Masters. Well done.
Casper Ruud plays well too, no wonder he’s in the final, beating Zverev along the way. He’s quite a charming guy!
Mona he is not a threat to everyone. Geez! His serve is a mess, Djoko will destroy his serve. Please there’s absolutely nothing spectacular about him. He’s good, that’s it. Many Rafa fans never expected Rafa to get to the Australian open final let alone beat medvedev there. Don’t use the Djoko excuse that he’s won everything, so has Nadal and Nadal has won 21 grandslams. Let’s be real here, anytime anybody comes up that happens to be good, oh my God, Rafa is in trouble! Nadal has won 21 grandslams beating everybody including alcaraz (he should have won that match in straight sets if he didn’t go walkabouts in the 2nd set as usual) with all his injuries. Let that sink in. Injury and age is not an excuse. This has been going on since forever.
Alcaraz has not even faced or beaten Djoko or medvedev (at his best bc he’s a mess now) and yet as usual he’ll destroy Rafa and everyone else. Nadal will have to beat the best to even get to the final of RG let alone win it. Djoko is a serious threat to Nadal bc he has shown he can consistently beat Rafa even in RG and also thiem and yet as usual we are terrified by the new kid on the block who has never beaten Rafa. Let’s have some respect and faith for a world class player and GOAT like Rafa injury or not, old age or not. The end.
Happy,
You are my hero! Thank you again for keeping it real!
The only point I would make is that Thiem is a question mark right now. Just as he came back from a long injury layoff, he gets Covid. So his form and health are in question.
The other young guys aren’t going to pack their bags either. Thungs change in tennis. Meddy is nit going anywhere. Now that is a player who handed Novak one of his most crushing defeats. At the USO where he was going for history with the calendar slam. He has proven that he am best Novak in a slam. Not an easy thing to do. So let’s not make the mistake of writing him off.
Rafa has had a remarkable run. So are we going to write him off? We should have faith in our guy. Remember who the proven true champions are.