The Quito Bicentennial Cup awaits Rafael Nadal after the short participation in the ATP Finals. Casper Ruud advanced to the semifinals | Other Sports | Sports

Rafael Nadal, with little competition since July, conceded a second defeat in as many matches at the ATP Finals on Tuesday against Auger-Aliassime, from which he falls prematurely, leaving his Spanish compatriot Carlos Alcaraz on the throne of No. 1 in the world.

Alcaraz (low due to injury before the tournament), turned into the youngest No. 1 at the age of 19 since the ATP classification exists (1973), will also be at the end of the year.

He also becomes the first player to finish a season as World No.1 without being a member of the Big 4 (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray) since Andy Roddick in 2003.

Rafael Nadal vs. Casper Ruud at the ATP Finals will serve as appetizers for the Quito Bicentennial Cup

For his part, the Norwegian Casper RuudNo. 4 in the world and Nadal’s next opponent in the Quito Bicentennial Cupdefeated hours later the American Taylor Fritz (9th) 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (8/6) and thus achieved his ticket to the semifinals of the ATP Finals.

The other ticket for the semifinals will be settled on Thursday between Fritz and the Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime (6th). In that Green group, Nadal (2nd) is already eliminated after his defeats against Fritz and Auger-Aliassime, whatever his result on Thursday against Ruud.

Rafael Nadal, ‘excited’ to play in Quito

The latter, a finalist this year at Roland Garros and at the US Open, had been defeated last year in the ‘semis’ in his first participation in the tournament that brings together the eight best rackets of the season, by the Russian Daniil Medvedev.

Indoor tournaments at the end of the season have never been good for Nadal, and the Masters Cup could remain the only major title not on his immense list of honors.

Tickets for Rafael Nadal’s exhibition match in Quito, on sale for all audiences

Heading to Quito Nadal and Casper Ruud

After a bitter loss against Fritz on Sunday in two sets, World No.2 Rafa Nadal fell without winning a set to Auger-Aliassime (6th), 6-3, 6-4.

Although this time his feelings were not so negative.

“In general terms I was better than the other day, but I didn’t know how to take advantage of a single one of the chances I had”, stated the Spaniard.

Where Nadal is implacable on the big days, at the end of the year he is showing himself to be fragile. The champion of 22 Grand Slams is not knowing how to specify his chances, raise his level at key moments.

On Tuesday, the Spaniard had five break balls but has not taken advantage of any. And he only managed to save two of the four that he conceded to his rival.

In trouble with his first serve, the Canadian was soon under pressure in the first round: he had to save two break points in the first game and another two at 3-3.

But on each occasion he managed to get out alive and it was the Spaniard who gave up in the eighth game: when he dominated 40-0 and seemed about to go 4-4, Nadal did not know how to close the game and conceded the first break of the duel. Auger-Aliassime easily fastened the first set to serve.

“That game at 4-3 was horrible. Then I fought until the end, but when things go that way, it’s not so easy to change the dynamics or the result”, lamented Nadal, before summarizing: “my rival played the key points better”.

In the second set, when he dominated by 40-15 serving at 1-1, Nadal again lost his serve and FAA maintained its advantage until the end, taking advantage of the fact that he regained sensations with his service (15 ‘aces’ in total).

Auger-Aliassime, who led Nadal to the fifth set in the Roland Garros round of 16, beat the Spaniard for the first time in the third meeting.

The Canadian assured that he had not received “any secret” about Nadal from his uncle, who was his coach Toni, who is now part of the FAA ‘staff’.

Meanwhile, Nadal registers a fourth consecutive defeat (after the round of 16 at the US Open and his debut at the Masters 1000 in Paris), which has not happened since November 2009.

“I don’t know if I’m going to recover that level again, but what I have no doubt about is that I’m going to ‘die’ for it,” declared Nadal, who has a plane ticket to land on the morning of Sunday, November 27 in Quito.

The Spaniard’s rival in the Kia Quito Bicentenario Cup is the Norwegian Casper Ruud, No. 4 in the world, and they will meet at the General Rumiñahui Coliseum starting at 5:30 p.m.

Rafa’s stay will coincide with the match between the soccer team of his country and Germany, for group E of the World Cup in Qatar.

Buenos Aires (Argentina), Bogotá (Colombia), Quito (Ecuador), Belo Horizonte (Brazil) and Mexico City (Mexico), will be the five cities that will host the exhibition tour of nadal Y ruud.

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