I was angry with myself in the first set," Alcaraz's words after his match against Ruud
Qualified for his 10th final of the season, the 9th consecutive one, Carlos Alcaraz had to work hard, especially in the first set, against a very strong Casper Ruud in the semifinals of the ATP 500 in Tokyo.
Interviewed by the ATP after his victory (3-6, 6-3, 6-4), the Spaniard reflected on losing the first set before discussing his upcoming match against Taylor Fritz:
"I had many opportunities in the first set, but I didn't take advantage of them. It was just a matter of details, so I tried to be more positive afterward. I was a bit angry with myself, I tried to play with joy again by focusing on positive things and thoughts.
Regarding my next opponent, I know that lately he has been playing very good tennis. Especially against me, but also against Zverev in the Laver Cup. It's the same in this tournament. He feels good and is really comfortable on the court. Nevertheless, it's really different from San Francisco, it's another challenge for me and I'm looking forward to it.
Tokyo 
