Alcaraz vs Ruud Live Score, 2022 US Open Final: Alcaraz takes opening set 6-4, Ruud leads 4-2 in second

Welcome to Sportstar’s live coverage of the 2022 US Open men’s singles final between Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Casper Ruud of Norway. This is Nihit Sachdeva taking you through the action as it unfolds at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.

SECOND SET (*denotes server)

Alcaraz* 2-4 Ruud

Some emotion from Ruud as he wins a hard-fought point – lob, followed by a backhand cross-court and ending it with a forehand volley. Serve and volley from Alcaraz but he does not execute the second part properly – 30-all. Ruud reads the drop shot and hits a powerful cross-court backhand. Alcaraz’s backhand retrieve hits the net. Break point opportunity for Ruud. Drop shot from Alcaraz, Ruud manages to get the lob’s projectory perfect and Alcaraz hits the forehand pass long. Ruud gets the break.

Alcaraz 2-3 Ruud*

Alcaraz hits the drop shot wide by the barest of the margins – Ruud up 30-15. Wide serve from Ruud followed by a backhand down the line winner. Same tactic applied again but this time Alcaraz hits a stunning cross-court backhand pass. Pressure on Ruud as Alcaraz draws out a wide forehand from the Norwegian – deuce. A couple of cross-court forehand returns before finishing the point with a backhand down the line – Advantage Alcaraz. Not anymore as Ruud puts in a great first serve down the T. Ruud holds. Still on serve in this second set.

Alcaraz* 2-2 Ruud

Inside-out forehand from Alcaraz goes long. Better first serve from Alcaraz and Ruud sends the return into the net. Three points on the trot to hold serve for the Spaniard.

Alcaraz 1-2 Ruud*

Ruud replies with a love hold of his own. Solid start to the second set for both players.

Alcaraz* 1-1 Ruud

An ace via a sliced serve from Alcaraz. Wide serve next up followed by a forehand volley. Backhand return from Ruud lands into the net and Alcaraz is up 40-0. An ace down the T. One of the most perfect games so far in this match for the teenager from Spain.

Alcaraz 0 -1 Ruud*

Ruud to serve first. Wide serve followed by a forehand down the line winner for the Norwegian – 15-all. Alcaraz attacks the second serve but hits the backhand, yet again, into the net. Strong inside-out forehand from Alcaraz and Ruud’s backhand return goes long – 30-all. Sliced serve from Ruud followed by a forehand down the line as Alcaraz anticipates the other way round. Ruud holds.

FIRST SET (*denotes server)

Alcaraz* 6-4 Ruud

Alcaraz to serve for the set. Serve and volley to begin the game and it works. Serve and a half-volley from Alcaraz followed by a backhand pass from Ruud which lands just wide. Unreturnable first serve from Alcaraz. Three set points. He needs only one as Ruud hits the backhand return into the net. Alcaraz takes the first set 6-4.

Alcaraz 5-4 Ruud*

Wide serve from Ruud, Alcaraz gets the return in and decides to go to the other end but Ruud simply hits the forehand down the line. Backhand into the net from the Spaniard on Ruud’s first serve. Backhand slice from Ruud has too many revs on the ball and it lands beyond the baseline. Heavy backhand pass from Alcaraz. Ruud holds.

Alcaraz* 5-3 Ruud

Alcaraz argues the ball bounced twice after he hit the volley but the replay showed correctly that Ruud did manage to get his racquet underneath the ball in time for the lob. Alcaraz ended up hitting the forehand into the net. A backhand error from Alcaraz and Ruud is up 30-15. Body serve from Alcaraz and Ruud gets out of the way – ace and it is 30-all. Alcaraz hits a cross-court backhand and follows it up with a delicate cross-court volley to go 40-30 up. Backhand down the line winner from Alcaraz. Serve held .

Alcaraz 4-3 Ruud*

Alcaraz attacks the second serve of the Norwegian but the backhand is a little too heavy. Alcaraz takes the ball early but hits the backhand cross-court long – Ruud 30-0 up. Wide second serve from Ruud and Alcaraz hits the forehand cross-court wide. Three game points for the fifth seed. Backhand return from Alcaraz at Ruud’s body and the Norwegian tries the tweener but fails miserably as the ball sails off the court. However, no harm down as Ruud wins the next point and holds serve. Still, Alcaraz up by a break.

Alcaraz* 4-2 Ruud

Ruud seemed to have the early edge in the rally but it is Alcaraz who wins the point with a backhand volley. Alcaraz goes for the forehand down the line but hits it wide – 15-all. Inside-out forehand followed by a forehand volley down the line – Alcaraz 30-15 up. Running cross-court forehand from Ruud goes long – two game points for the Spaniard. Loopy returns from Ruud drawing out errors from Alcaraz – cross-court backhand into the net. Ace down the T and Alcaraz holds.

Alcaraz 3-2 Ruud*

Ruud struggling with his first serve but doing well to win points on second serve courtesy of a much improved backhand. Unforced error on the forehand from the Spaniard. Love hold for Ruud.

Alcaraz* 3-1 Ruud

Serve and volley from Alcaraz done right – 15-0. Unforced error on the forehand from Ruud as he sends one beyond the baseline. Outrageous exchange – Ruud hits a backhand cross-court, Alcaraz with the most stunning half-volley cross-court but Ruud reaches in time to send the backhand down the line and finish the point with a forehand volley into the open court. Unsuccessful drop shot from Alcaraz. Ruud upping the pressure on Alcaraz and from 0-30 down, is now 40-30 up. Break point opportunity. Alcaraz tries the drop shot again, Ruud gets to it but Alcaraz simply sends a forehand down the line winner. A 96mph second serve from Alcaraz but Ruud still stand way beyond the baseline and eventually, his forehand return only hits the top of the net. A forehand winner down the middle to hold serve and consolidate the break.

Alcaraz 2-1 Ruud*

Alcaraz’ backhand return mid-rally hits the top of the net and Ruud is unable to adjust the volley at the last moment. Ruud sends the volley long on the net point and goes 0-30 down. Cross-court forehand volley into the open court gives him three break points. Alcaraz wastes the first one as he overcooks the inside-out forehand. Wide serve from Ruud, Alcaraz sends the forehand return right back at his feet at the centre and the Norwegian sends the forehand return wide. Early break for Alcaraz.

Alcaraz* 1-1 Ruud

First service game for Alcaraz. A gorgeous backhand down the line pass from Ruud lands bang on the baseline – 15-all. Serve and volley tried from Alcaraz but he sends the volley into the net. A 90mph second serve from Alcaraz, Ruud hits the backhand down the line winner with his feet in the air. Wide serve from Alcaraz and Ruud’s forehand return is into the net. Body serve from Alcaraz and Ruud sends another return into the net – deuce. Alcaraz goes wide with the serve and it is an ace – first for the final. One-two combo from Alcaraz – wide serve followed by a forehand down the line. Alcaraz holds.

Alcaraz 0-1 Ruud*

Ruud to serve first in this historic final. Wide and unreturnable serve from the Norwegian to begin the proceedings. A 10-shot rally which ends with a backhand slice from the Spaniard landing wide. First point of the match for Alcaraz as Ruud overhits the backhand down the middle. Serve down the T, Alcaraz gets the forehand return in, Ruud sends the forehand down the middle long – 30-all. An 89mph second serve from Ruud, Alcaraz attacks with a backhand down the line and Ruud’s return lands wide. Break point for Alcaraz. Quick switch from the backhand to the forehand down the line from Ruud during the rally and Alcaraz sends the cross-court forehand long – deuce. A double fault from Ruud gives Alcaraz another break point. Ruud sends loopy returns from a good distance behind the baseline and Alcaraz, sticking to the baseline, hits the backhand into the net – #2 deuce. Excellent couple of volleys from Ruud eventually draw the error from Alcaraz – advantage Ruud. Ruud holds as Alcaraz hits the backhand return long.

1:47AM IST: Warm-up is done. Game time!!!

1:43AM IST: Carlos Alcaraz is absolutely pumped up to start this final. So much so that he began running towards the baseline even before the mandatory photographs of the two finalists were captures.

1:38AM IST: Here we go. The two finalists step onto the court. Casper Ruud, first up, followed by Carlos Alcaraz.

1:18AM IST: Less than 15 minutes to go for live action. Alcaraz vs Ruud is the youngest Grand Slam men’s singles final in more than 20 years, dating back to 21-year-old Lleyton Hewitt’s win over 20-year-old David Nalbandian for the 2002 Wimbledon championship.

1:05AM IST:What Ruud has said about Alcaraz before the final

12:55AM IST:What Alcaraz has said about Ruud before the final

12:45AM IST:JUST IN – Czech duo of Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova beat the all-American pair of Caty McNally and Taylor Townsend 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 to win the women’s doubles title at the 2022 US Open. Krejcikova and Siniakova have completed the set – all four Slams, WTA Finals, Olympic Medallists and were 18-0 in Slams this year.

12:40AM IST:Records Ruud will set by winning the US Open (via ATP)

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  World No. 7 Ruud will make the biggest jump to world number one
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  First Norwegian Grand Slam singles champion
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  First Norwegian World No. 1 in ATP Rankings history (since August 1973) and fourth Scandinavian World No. 1 after Borg, Edberg and Wilander of Sweden.
• ⦿
   Sixth Scandinavian Grand Slam men’s champion and third Scandinavian US Open men’s champion.

12:30AM IST:Records Alcaraz will set by winning the US Open (via ATP)

• ⦿
  Alcaraz, 19, will become youngest and first teenage World No. 1 in the history of ATP Rankings
• ⦿
  Would be fourth Spanish World No. 1 in ATP Rankings history, joining Ferrero, Moya and Nadal
• ⦿
  First man to save match point en route to Grand Slam title since Djokovic at 2019 Wimbledon and first man to save match point en route to US Open title since Wawrinka in 2016
• ⦿
  First post-US Open change at No. 1 since 2003, when his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero rose to No. 1 

12:20AM IST:Head-to-head record

Alcaraz leads the head-to-head record 2-0. Their first meeting was on clay in Marbella in 2021 where the Spaniard won 6-2, 6-4 in the quarterfinal. Their second and the most recent match was this year’s Miami Masters final which Alcaraz won 7-5, 6-4.

12:10AM IST:Ruud’s run to the final

12AM IST: Alcaraz’ run to the final

11:50PM IST: It’s the final day of Grand Slam tennis in 2022 and the stakes could not have been more higher. Alcaraz vs Ruud – a final, not only for a maiden Grand Slam title but also a battle to be the world number one. Live action begins at 1:30AM IST. Till then, stay tuned as I take you through the pre-match build-up.

MATCH PREVIEW ( via Reuters)

The stakes could not be higher in Sunday’s Flushing Meadows final between Spanish teenaged phenomenon Carlos Alcaraz and Norwegian Casper Ruud, with the US Open trophy and the world number one ranking awaiting the winner.

The showdown between the two breakout players of 2022 is a fitting conclusion to the year’s final major, which showcased the sport’s bright future as it transitions out of the era of the Big Three of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

French Open runner-up Ruud called the winner-takes-all conclusion an “ideal situation” after he beat Russian Karen Khachanov in four sets in Friday’s semi-final.

The superhuman Alcaraz, who survived three successive five-set marathons to arrive at the precipice of Grand Slam glory, said his vision was coming into focus.

“It’s close, but at the same time is so far away, you know?” Alcaraz told reporters after beating American Frances Tiafoe on Friday night.

“It’s a final of a Grand Slam, fighting for the number one in the world, something that I dreamed (of) since I was a kid.”

The 19-year-old Spaniard has beaten Ruud in both of their previous meetings, including a straight sets win in the Miami Open final in April.

“I know him very well,” Alcaraz said.

“We shared a lot of moments in the tournaments. Of course, he’s a very nice guy off the court. I talk with him a lot, when we can.

“I played him twice. I beat him twice. He’s playing really, really well. I know that. I will have to show my best.”

Ruud knows that he faces an uphill task in toppling the on-fire Alcaraz, who has won four titles this year, including Masters trophies in Miami and Madrid.

“If I want to beat Carlos, I’ll need to play very precise with all the shots that I hit, especially try to keep him a little bit further back in the court,” he said.

“If he steps in, he can do anything with the ball. He can rip a winner. He also has great touch with the drop shot… he can do both shots back and forth. He will get you off guard sometimes with the drop shot.”

With the eyes of the tennis world on them, the mental battle could be just as important as any tactical decisions, Ruud said.

“We’re playing for the tournament and also world number one. Of course, there will be nerves and we will both feel it,” he said.

“I hope it will be a good match. He has beaten me a couple times and I will seek my revenge.”

Live Streaming Info, when and where to watch?

The 2022 US Open men’s singles final between Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Casper Ruud of Norway will be telecast live on Sony Sports Network and streamed live on the Sony Liv App from 1:30AM IST on Monday, September 12.