Nitto ATP Finals: Carlos Alcaraz battles past Taylor Fritz in three set thriller

NEW DELHI: Carlos Alcaraz kept himself alive for his maiden Nitto ATP Finals title with a hard-fought victory over Taylor Fritz in a thrilling contest on Tuesday, as per ATP’s official website.

Playing in front of a packed crowd at the Inalpi Arena, the top-seeded Spaniard battled back from a set down to defeat Fritz 6-7(2), 7-5, 6-3 in an intense encounter that lasted two hours and 48 minutes.

Fritz, last year’s runner-up, appeared in control for much of the match and seemed on course for his second consecutive indoor win over Alcaraz this season. However, the 22-year-old Spaniard showed remarkable grit and flair, staging a superb comeback that featured a crucial 14-minute service hold in the second set, a moment that shifted the momentum in his favour.

“It was pretty tight, I was struggling more than him in the first set,” said Alcaraz, as quoted from the official website of ATP.

He noted, “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,” he added.

Carlos Alcaraz has taken a big step toward the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals and could seal his spot if Alex de Minaur beats debutant Lorenzo Musetti later on Tuesday. The Spaniard has also moved to within just 50 points of clinching the prestigious ATP Year-End No. 1, ahead of his close rival Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz will wrap up his round-robin campaign against Musetti on Thursday.

“I will try not to think about it,” Alcaraz said.

“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,” he added. (ANI)