Alcaraz to face Shelton in Paris Masters final after beating Ruud

Carlos Alcaraz secured his first appearance in the Paris Masters final with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Casper Ruud, according to BBC Sport.

The 23-year-old Spaniard described the upcoming match against Ben Shelton as one of the most difficult challenges in tennis, as reported by BBC Sport and Yahoo Sports.

This final will be a rematch of their previous encounter at the US Open quarter-finals, where Shelton ended Alcaraz's title defense in a five-set match, Yahoo Sports noted.

Alcaraz said he has been chasing a spot in the Paris Masters final for a long time and expressed determination to prepare well for the match, emphasizing the need for sharp reflexes to handle Shelton's serves, according to Yahoo Sports.

Shelton earned his place in the final by defeating Luca Van Assche, while Alcaraz advanced by overcoming Taylor Fritz in a quarter-final comeback and then winning against Ruud in straight sets, Yahoo Sports detailed.