Carlos Alcaraz comes from behind to beat Taylor Fritz to stay on track for first ATP Finals title
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Carlos Alcaraz celebrating his win over Taylor Fritz at the ATP Finals on Nov 11.
PHOTO: EPA
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- Carlos Alcaraz beat Taylor Fritz 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 at the ATP Finals and will qualify for the semi-finals if de Minaur beats Musetti.
- Jannik Sinner defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-5, 6-1, extending his indoor hard-court winning streak to 27 matches. Two spectators died from cardiac arrests.
- Ons Jabeur is expecting her first child in April and will take a break from tennis. She announced, "we've been planning the cutest comeback ever".
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TURIN – Carlos Alcaraz stayed on track for his maiden ATP Finals crown after a comeback 6-7 (2-7), 7-5, 6-3 win over American sixth seed Taylor Fritz on Nov 11.
The 22-year-old Spaniard showed just why he is the top-ranked player with a battling display before a packed crowd at the Inalpi Arena, as he recorded his second win in the Jimmy Connors Group.
“It was pretty tight. I was struggling more than (Fritz) in the first set,” said Alcaraz. “I wasn’t serving well and I think he was pretty comfortable from the baseline, from everywhere…
“I was really relieved after the win because of everything I went through during the match.
“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 and find weakness from him.”
Alcaraz will qualify for the semi-finals if seventh-ranked Alex de Minaur of Australia defeats Italy’s world No. 9 Lorenzo Musetti. That match ended after press time.
Before he sets his sights on the year-end trophy, the year-end No. 1 ranking will be his if he beats Musetti on Nov 13.
His rival Jannik Sinner will have to retain the ATP Finals title, unbeaten, to have any chance of ending the season as No. 1 for a second straight year.
“I will try not to think about it,” Alcaraz said when told that he needs just one more win to finish the year as world No. 1.
“It’s going to be a really big match for me. I will try not to let the nerves play a bad time in the match. I will think about my goals, about feeling much better than today.”
On Nov 10, Sinner began his bid to retain the ATP Finals title with a resounding 7-5, 6-1 win over injury-hit Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in their round-robin clash at a packed Inalpi Arena.
The pair were meeting for the fourth time since August, and eight days after their last clash, with the outcome the same as Sinner eased into the match before overpowering Auger-Aliassime, who needed medical attention during the second set for a problem in his left calf.
Sinner extended his incredible indoor hard-court winning streak to 27 matches, his last defeat on the surface coming against Novak Djokovic in the 2023 ATP Finals decider.
Sinner said: “He played some very aggressive tennis, so I’m happy to overcome a very tough test today. Obviously winning the first match is very important in this competition and this format.”
Meanwhile, two spectators died from cardiac arrests during the second day of the ATP Finals, the Italian Tennis Federation (FITP) and the ATP said on Nov 11.
The individuals were aged 70 and 78 and the incidents occurred at different times on Nov 10. The first singles match between Musetti and Fritz was delayed, with an announcement made regarding a medical situation in the arena.
Baby on the way
In women’s tennis, Tunisia’s former world No. 2 Ons Jabeur announced on Nov 10 that she is expecting her first child and will take an extended break from professional tennis.
“I took a little break to reset and recharge... Turns out, we’ve been planning the cutest comeback ever,” the three-time Grand Slam runner-up, known as the “Minister of Happiness”, posted on Instagram.
The 31-year-old, currently ranked 79th, added that she is expecting a baby boy in April.
This is Jabeur’s first child with husband Karim Kamoun, who is a former fencer and fitness trainer. The couple have been married since 2015. REUTERS
