Under-par Alcaraz misses out on third place at Mubadala after Ruud defeat
Plenty to think about for the world No 1 a month before the start of the Australian Open
Carlos Alcaraz (AI/Reuters/Panoramic)
Casper Ruud dismissed a well under-par Carlos Alcaraz 6-1, 6-4, to finish third at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship exhibition.
The Norwegian raced to the first set in just 26 minutes, with the world No 1 looking entirely lost and racking up the unforced errors.
The 19-year-old put up more of a fight in the second set, but Ruud was in cruise control, serving out the final game to love.
Since winning the US Open and reaching the top of the ATP rankings, Alcaraz has been troubled by injury with an abdominal tear forcing him to end his season early.
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