Carlos Alcaraz stormed into the Indian Wells quarterfinal after a straight-set win against Casper Ruud.
Alcaraz’s Dominant Start
After rallying from a set and a break down in his previous match, Carlos Alcaraz started strongly against No. 13 seed Casper Ruud. He jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first set.
The world’s No. 1 player defeated Ruud 6-1, 7-6(2) to advance to Thursday’s quarterfinal. It was a different match compared to when Alcaraz beat Arthur Rinderknech on Monday night.
Ruud Pushes Back
After a first-set blitz from Alcaraz, Ruud pushed Wednesday’s second set to a tiebreaker.
The tiebreaker, though, was all Alcaraz. With Alcaraz leading 6-1, Ruud won a point with an unnecessary between-the-legs shot, drawing a grin from Alcaraz who ended the match one point later.
Eyes on a Third Indian Wells Title
Alcaraz is searching for his third Indian Wells title in four years, having taken the crown in 2023 and 2024.
He’ll be facing another former champion in Thursday’s quarterfinal when he faces Cam Norrie.