Nitto ATP finals 2022 result: Norway’s Casper Ruud beats Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets to take charge of Green Group

There’s no slip-up from Ruud. He serves out to 15 to claim the first win of the tournament and take charge of Green Group with a straight sets success. It was a relatively tight affair with just the one break, but Ruud was the more solid player throughout and got the job done in one hour and 51 minutes.

Felix keeps Casper honest with a quick-fire love hold to pose the serve-out question.

Casper takes the scenic route from 0-30 to seize the initiative at 40-30 before FAA plays one of his best points of the match to fizz away a blistering forehand and make deuce.

Ruud stands firm from there as an overhead and a successful challenge on a serve sees him consolidate.

It’s a gift and it could well be curtains for FAA!

The Canadian malfunctions badly off his ferocious forehand wing, blazing long and then wide to cough up the first two break points of the match.

Indeed, Ruud didn’t have to do much to earn them, nor does he have to do anything to convert on the first as Felix double faults to pretty much implode.

That’s a bit of a let off for Ruud. He feels some heat at 15-30 but FAA doesn’t do enough in the next three points, leaking needless errors off the backhand and then flashing an overly-aggressive forehand long.

FAA’s ace counter rolls on to 12 as some majestic serving offers Ruud nothing to chew on.

It’s a strange old game but Ruud belatedly gets the job done. A double fault at 40-0 is the beginning of a real dip from the Norwegian and he needs to showcase his excellent defensive skills to resist from deuce and grit out the hold.

Ruud prevails in the best rally of the match so far as he improvises with a flick winner after FAA had tracked down his lob. The Canadian then heaps pressure on himself for 30-30 with a dreadful drop shot fail before a 10th ace of the match sees him through a test.

New set, same old story? Ruud is pretty much untroubled as he levels with a hold to 15. Once again the FAA backhand looks suspect and likely to leak errors.

Felix dusts himself down and kicks off Set 2 on a positive note. A crisp, wide ace seals the game to 15 after Ruud had looked to test the Canadian’s confidence by snaring the opening point.

The Norwegian clocks up two set points when Felix shanks a shaky backhand wide to trail 6-4. The Canadian can’t clear his head enough from there and blazes a forehand long to drop the breaker 7-4 and the opening set in 59 minutes.

Ouch. It’s as tight as expected with no mini break in sight until FAA throws in a double fault just before the change of ends. Can Ruud see it through from here?

We are indeed heading into a tie break. Felix slaps down a seventh ace of the match so far and follows up with another hefty one to ensure the first set of the 2022 Nitto ATP finals will be decided by a breaker.

Too good. Ruud has been completely untroubled on serve. He chalks up yet another love hold to pose the question of FAA one more time. It does feels like a tie break is inevitable though…

Pressure? What pressure? FAA shows steely focus as he marauds through a hold to love.

To put it simply, Felix is not doing enough on the return. Ruud is serving well but the Canadian needs to start getting a better read on the delivery. It’s another clean hold for the Norwegian who is now applying the scoreboard pressure too.

Frustration for Ruud. He slaps a very make-able forehand into the net at 0-15 and then flashes one long at 30-30. He knows they were chances to potentially create an opening, but the unforced mistakes allow FAA to wriggle clear as another Ruud error via the backhand lands way beyond the baseline.

Clutch!

Ruud conjures up a timely, huge serve to avid trouble at 30-30 before a wrong-footing beauty of a forehand wraps up another game in style.

A pair of volleys clip the lines of both flanks before an ace down the T and an unreturnable serve see Felix level with aplomb.

The server reigns supreme, which is often the case on an indoor court. Ruud wastes little time in keeping his nose in front with his second love hold of the contest.