Alcaraz banked on his impeccable service game and a strong opening set to overpower Ruud in the contest.
Ruud did end up forcing a tie-break in the second set, banking on a decider, but Alcaraz was too good on a day where he notched his 15th consecutive triumph of this season so far.
“The conditions were difficult to be honest. Today the ball was tough to control but we both played great,” two-time champion Alcaraz said in his on-court interview.
“My first set was incredible I’m really happy of playing that kind of level, really happy to get through and hopefully I’ll play this level on the next round.”
Alcaraz will next face 2021 champion Cameron Norrie, who earlier beat Australia’s Rinky Hijikata 6-4 6-2, with the Spaniard looking to avenge a defeat to the Briton at last year’s Paris Masters.
First Published: Mar 12, 2026 11:52 PM IST