TURIN: Rafael Nadal saved some honour on Thursday, beating Casper Ruud 7-5, 7-5, as he bowed out of the ATP Finals in Turin at the pool stage.

Nadal, the top seed in the event in the absence of injured world number one Carlos Alcaraz, had opened by losing his first two matches in the Green Group.

He was already eliminated when he faced Ruud, who won his first two matches to book a semi-final spot.

“I have been practising well,” said Nadal, who was struggled with injury since scratching from the Wimbledon semi-final in July.

“Just probably not enough matches to be at the level that I needed to be.

“Not enough confidence, probably, after six tough months. That’s how it is. I accept that the season didn’t end the way that I wanted. At least I finished with a positive victory.”

Nadal, who sits second in the rankings, said he was happy with a season in which he won the first two Grand Slam titles, in Australia and at Roland Garros.

“I can’t ask for more,” said Nadal. “2022 has had a tough six months, two Grand Slams, and finishing the year in a high spot in the rankings.

Norwegian Ruud was not able to break his losing streak against players at the top of rankings and suffered an eighth straight defeat to a player in the top three. He has not won a set in any of those losses.

On the very fast court of the Pala Alpitour, Nadal was particularly aggressive. His service was particularly effective, with 16 aces and just one double fault and allowed him to go to the net.

After saving two break points at 4-4, Nadal won the first set by converting his first break point.

The pattern was similar in the second set, except that Nadal was even more imperious on serve, conceding just three points in the set.

And it was with a winning cross-court backhand that he closed the match on Ruud’s serve.

The other qualifier from the Green Group will be decided when Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime meets American Taylor Fritz in the evening match. The winner will advance.

In the late match on Wednesday, Greece’s Tsitsipas battled back from 3-5 down in the third set to eliminate Medvedev with a 6-3 6-7(11) 7-6(1) win to set up a showdown on Friday with Rublev for the Red Group’s other semi-final spot.

After capturing the first set behind some outstanding serving, Tsitsipas saw three match points slip away in the second and came one game away from defeat in the decider.

But Tsitsipas would not stray from his fearless brand of tennis, crushing balls from the baseline and charging to the net to seal the rollercoaster win after two hours and 21 minutes.

Medvedev pounded 16 aces but his serve deserted him late in the third set and he went down quietly in the final tiebreak, the match ending on a forehand error out wide from the former world number one.

“It was great to get back into the match, I felt reborn, and what a great way to end it,” Tsitsipas said.

With the win, Tsitsipas notched his second consecutive win over Medvedev and fourth in 11 total matches.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2022