LONDON (AP) – Rafael Nadal celebrated his first win in his last group game at the ATP Finals. The Spaniard beat Norway’s Kasper Ruud 7:5, 7:5 in Turin on Thursday.

However, after his two opening losses, Nadal had no chance of making the semi-finals and was eliminated after the preliminary round, despite the success. After two wins, Ruud was already a semi-finalist in the season-ending eight best tennis professionals of the year before the new edition of the French Open final.

Despite long injury problems, Nadal was satisfied with his year after Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and the French Open. “I’ve had a tough six months in 2022, two Grand Slams and a good run in the world rankings, so I can’t complain,” the 36-year-old said. Next year it is about “starting the season with the right energy, the right attitude from the start to reach the top”.

Along with Rudd, Taylor Fritz of the Green Group made it to the semifinals. The American beat Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime 7:6 (7:4), 6:7 (5:7), 6:2 on Friday night and will now take on five-time winner Novak Djokovic of Serbia.

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