Top seed Carlos Alcaraz battled to defeat in-form World No. 41 Emil Ruusuvuori 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 after two hours and 17 minutes, starting his title defense in Madrid.
In his on-court interview, he asserted: “It was really tough. I would say I was about to lose. It was just one point. One of the break points he had at 2-3 in the second set was like a match point for him. I was happy to be able to save that game and come back a bit.”
Adding: “It was really tough. Emil played unbelievably, but I am really, really happy to get through that.”
The crowd cheered the Spaniard as he took to the center stage, the Manolo Santana Stadium at Caja Magica, to open his campaign against the Finn player, who advanced to the second round after surviving Frenchman Ugo Humbert on Wednesday.
Despite Alcaraz’s favorite status, Ruusuvuori was the one to strike first, converting his first break point in the fourth game, quickly holding to extend his lead to 4-1 within 20 minutes into the opener.
Late in March, he became the first player from Finland to reach the quarterfinals of an ATP Masters 1000 tournament since 2013 - losing to the Miami Open presented by Itau runner-up Jannik Sinner in the semifinals.
The Helsinki born-player continued to play with great confidence, imposing his game, forcing Alcaraz to save three break points in the eighth game.
Ultimately, the Spaniard could not halt the Finn, who broke twice on his fourth attempt, wrapping the first set 6-2 in 36 minutes.
Flawless behind his serve, the 24-year-old won 100 percent of the first serve points while his adversary won just 60 percent on his.
Under pressure, the World No. 2, who thus far into the season claimed titles in Buenos Aires, Indian Wells, and most recently in Barcelona, continued to be challenged by the 2022 Pune runner-up.
In a highly disputed sixth game, which spanned over 11 minutes, Alcaraz’s trademark drop shots were at the order of the day, rallying to save five break points and hold serve to level up the match at 3-3.
The 19-year-old built momentum, stepping ahead for the first time in the second set, breaking in the seventh game to open a 4-3 lead, which he fast extended to 5-3.
The Murcia native served clinically for the set, notching a 6-4 win after one hour of play to force a decider.
One of the crucial aspects for Juan Carlos Ferrero’s pupil to level the contest was the improvement made with the effectiveness of his serve.
Ruusuvuori won 76 percent of the first serve points and 50 percent with his second.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Open champion won 67 on his first to 58 on his second serve.
Furthermore, the 9-time ATP titlist saved all five breakpoints he faced.
In the decider, he held his nerve, breaking twice on his way to a 6-2 triumph.
Showcasing his vast repertoire, the former world number one brought the spectators to the edge of their seats after a high-quality encounter.
As the match concluded, a standing ovation from the fans to the home star took over the Stadium.
Next, Alcaraz will meet 26th seed Grigor Dimitrov, who rallied past Frenchman Gregoire Barrere, 7-6(6), 7-6(2) earlier in the day.
The two-time Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell winner took victory in their lone clash, staged in Paris-Bercy hard-courts last season.