World number one Carlos Alcaraz came under extreme pressure before overcoming American Taylor Fritz 6-7(2), 7-5, 6-3 in a thrilling round-robin match at the ATP Finals. This victory leaves the Spaniard on two wins from two in the tournament.
Last year’s finalist Fritz played the tennis of his life on Tuesday, as both men served up the best encounter of the season-ending championships so far. However, the American ran out of steam in the final set, while Alcaraz turned on the style and took control to secure the win with ease.
Alcaraz and Fritz had won their opening Jimmy Connors Group matches, setting the stage for a highly competitive clash. The Spaniard looked in real trouble when Fritz took the opening set in a tense tiebreak. Alcaraz faced break points in the second set but managed to rally back and draw level.
As the match progressed, Fritz began to tire. Alcaraz capitalized on this and broke to lead 4-2 in the final set before wrapping up the win in two hours and 48 minutes by serving out to love.
“It was pretty tight. I was struggling more than him in the first set,” Alcaraz said. “I wasn’t serving well, and I think he was pretty comfortable from the baseline, from everywhere.”
### Alcaraz Closes In on Number One Ranking
Alcaraz will be assured of a semifinal place if Alex de Minaur defeats Lorenzo Musetti in the evening match. He also needs one more victory to guarantee the year-ending world number one spot and will face Musetti on Thursday.
“I try not to think about it to be honest,” Alcaraz said. “Obviously, it’s going to be a really big match for me. I’ll try to control the emotions, to control myself.”
### Match Highlights
Tuesday’s clash was a battle from the opening game, with Fritz taking nine minutes to hold serve after hitting three aces but also facing two break points. The American forced three break points in the next game before the pair traded breaks.
Fritz raced into a 5-2 lead in the tiebreak and smashed two aces to take the set. At 2-2 in the second set, Alcaraz was rattled. His drop shots, which had earlier troubled Fritz, began to fall short, but after facing and saving multiple break points, the Spaniard held on.
Alcaraz got lucky with a shot that clipped the net but crept over during the final game of the second set, enabling him to break and take the match into a deciding third set. There, Alcaraz outclassed an exhausted Fritz.
“I was really relieved after the win because of everything I went through during the match,” Alcaraz said. “I wasn’t feeling the ball as well as I was in the first round, but I’m really happy that I found a way to come back.”
—
### Recommended Stories
– NBA: Dallas Mavericks fire unpopular GM Nico Harrison after 3-8 start
– More than 70 athletes call on UEFA to ban Israel over rights abuses
– Ronaldo says 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America ‘definitely’ his last
– All to know about the African football playoffs for FIFA World Cup 2026
https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2025/11/12/carlos-alcaraz-rallies-to-defeat-taylor-fritz-at-atp-finals-in-turin?traffic_source=rss
