Despite that, Alcaraz did make the semifinals in Turin last year, and he beat a dialed-in and unusually composed Rublev on Tuesday. The back-and-forth second-set tiebreaker, which Alcaraz won 10-8, could serve as a microcosm of what makes Alcaraz so thrilling—and occasionally frustrating—to watch.

Carlos Alcaraz apeló a audaces dejadas en la red para sobrellevar sus problemas físicos, llevándose el miércoles una victoria 6-3, 7-6 (8) sobre Andrey Rublev que le mantiene con vida en las Finales de la ATP.