Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz defeats Alex de Minaur after a break festival, bringing him one step closer to the title.
Carlos Alcaraz is serious from the start in his quest for his first title at the ATP Finals. The Spanish world number two prevailed as expected against seventh-seeded Alex de Minaur in the first group match in Turin.
Alcaraz survived a few minor slumps to win 7-6 (7-5), 6-2. After just over an hour and a half, the 22-year-old converted his second match point and celebrated his fifth victory in five matches against the Australian. “It was a very difficult match, Alex is really good indoors. I’m glad to have overcome this challenge,” Alcaraz said afterwards.
Zverev challenged by Ben Shelton
The French Open and US Open champion had gotten off to a somewhat bumpy start. De Minaur benefited from several easy mistakes by the Spaniard, but in the tiebreak, the underdog’s nerves got the better of him. In the second set, Alcaraz set the course for victory with three early breaks and did not let himself be deterred from his path, even though his own serve continued to leave something to be desired. Alcaraz is not only fighting for his first title at the unofficial tennis world championships, but also for the top spot in the world rankings at the end of the year. In what is (for now) an indirect duel with Jannik Sinner, who is currently just ahead of him, Alcaraz needs three wins in the group stage or a place in the final in Turin to achieve his goal. “I’ve had problems with my energy and motivation in recent years. That’s different this year,” said Alcaraz.
The second match of the day will be played in the evening (not before 8:30 p.m./Sky) between two players from the other preliminary round group. Two-time Finals winner Alexander Zverev will face Ben Shelton (USA) in a decisive duel.
