Carlos Alcaraz moved within one win of ending the year as world number one after battling past Taylor Fritz in a gripping encounter at the ATP Finals in Turin on Tuesday.
The Spanish top seed recovered from a set down to defeat the American 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 6-3 in a high-quality contest lasting two hours and 48 minutes. The victory, Alcaraz’s second in succession, leaves him needing one more win to secure both a semi-final spot and the year-end number one ranking.
Lorenzo Musetti, meanwhile, thrilled the home crowd with a dramatic 7-5 3-6 7-5 victory over Alex de Minaur. The Italian ninth seed came from 5-3 down in the deciding set to seal a famous win, keeping the group finely balanced heading into the final round of matches.
Alcaraz will face Musetti on Thursday knowing that victory will confirm his place in the last four and secure the top ranking. Rival Jannik Sinner must defend his title and hope Alcaraz loses a group match and fails to reach the final to overtake him.
Reflecting on the prospect of ending the year as number one, the 22-year-old Alcaraz said: “It’s really difficult not to think about the number one spot. At the beginning of the match I thought a little bit about it. During the match there were a lot of things to think about. The number one thoughts, I didn’t think about it at all during the match.”
Sixth seed Fritz, runner-up at last year’s event, matched Alcaraz for long stretches of a pulsating contest. The opening four games lasted half an hour, both players exchanging breaks in gruelling service games before Fritz edged a 70-minute first set with a dominant tie-break.
Alcaraz dug deep in the second set, saving two break points in a 14-minute fifth game before capitalising late on when a rare double fault from Fritz handed him the decisive break at 6-5. In the final set, the Spaniard broke for a 4-2 lead and sealed the match with a love hold, producing a stunning overhead backhand drop shot on his way to victory.
“It was tight. I felt I was struggling more than him,” Alcaraz said. “I was really relieved after the win because of everything I went through physically. I’m really happy that I found a way to come back and find his weaknesses.”
Musetti’s emotional win came after play was briefly halted due to a medical emergency in the stands, with two spectators having died earlier in the tournament from cardiac arrests. The 23-year-old Italian, who has played six matches in seven days following his run to the Athens Open final, said: “With a big heart and a big passion, I don’t know from where, I started to play better. The support of the crowd was amazing, so I have to thank them all.”
