The Spaniard comes back against the American after almost three hours of great tennis for his second win out of two at the ATP Finals, but he is not yet mathematically in the semifinals. If he beats Musetti on the last day, he will end 2025 at the top of the rankings
The solidity (but also the quality) of Taylor Fritz against the unbearable lightness that accompanies the boundless talent of Carlos Alcaraz: this could be the summary, which is somewhat classic for many matches played by the Spaniard, of a match closed by Carlos in the third set, 6-7, 7-5, 6-3. But it took the world number one two hours and 47 minutes to overcome his opponent.
The match was a battle from the start, with breaks and counterbreaks in the early games, poor choices by Alcaraz, including some unfortunate drop shots, brilliant backhands followed by glaring errors, delicate volleys, and several misjudgments. On the American’s side, however, there was a lot of consistency, the ability to defend with linear tennis, and never stop believing. He has always been convinced that he can win a Slam and in every single match he shows personality and a total inability to get downhearted. As for Carlitos, we are now familiar with his tendency to have lapses (already seen the day before yesterday against De Minaur) that cause him to waste energy and risk heavy defeats. And in fact, the first set goes to the American: Carlitos climbs back to the tiebreak, won by Fritz 7-2 with a double mini-break and two aces to close it out. It’s back to square one for the (provisional) world number one, who is also playing for the chance to remain so at the end of the year in this match.
Key points— The battle continues in the second set: in the fifth game, Alcaraz immediately faces his first risks: first he misses an unnecessary drop shot, then he takes a big forehand from Fritz, then he closes the point with a spectacular high volley, but the American also puts on a show. It is a key moment and Alcaraz remains ahead 3-2, but it takes 22 points to close. Then came moments of respite for both players, with perfect games on serve, and the score remained unchanged, even though with the first set in the American’s pocket, it was still Carlitos who took the most risks. It could be said that Fritz missed his chance for success in the ninth game of the second set, when he made the wrong choice on an open court and allowed the Spaniard to go up 5-4, despite the many difficulties he encountered.
resistance— But Fritz did not give up, falling to the ground fortunately without consequences and continuing to fight. 6-5, 0-40: Fritz was tired but did not give up, trying to defend himself but making too many mistakes, and Carlos obtained the break that took him to the third set. The decisive set also starts evenly, but Fritz’s strength and resistance have declined (due to the slip? Perhaps more than the thought of that missed opportunity). Alcaraz and his fans breathe a sigh of relief in the sixth game, when a now clearly declining Fritz is broken, or rather breaks himself with a forehand error and a painful double fault. At that point, Carlitos is almost there: he takes a 5-2 lead, wastes a match point on Fritz’s serve, delights the crowd with a veronica, but Fritz resists and climbs back to 5-3. It’s the right moment for the talented Spaniard, who this time makes no mistake: in the last game, he fires off a barrage of volleys and wastes no match points. Tired but happy (127 points to 115), Carlitos sees the semifinals: but it will only be certain if De Minaur beats Musetti tonight. Otherwise, it will all be postponed to the last day, against the Italian.
