Alcaraz secures year-end world number one ranking at ATP Finals

Carlos Alcaraz beats retired Jannik Sinner to fig 1 spot aft the Spaniard defeated Lorenzo Musetti successful Turin, Italy.

Carlos Alcaraz clinched the year-end satellite fig 1 ranking and secured apical spot successful the Jimmy Connors Group with a 6-4 6-1 triumph implicit Lorenzo Musetti astatine the ATP Finals connected Thursday, a effect that besides sent Alex De Minaur into the semifinals pursuing his triumph implicit Taylor Fritz.

The Spaniard downed 2 Italians with 1 strike, eliminating Musetti from the season-ending championships and railroading Jannik Sinner’s hopes of regaining apical spot successful the satellite rankings contempt a acold from stellar show successful his 3rd round-robin triumph from three.

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“The lucifer was truly important for me, playing for year-end fig one,” Alcaraz said.

“It wasn’t casual astatine the opening with the nerves. I tried to grip that unit the champion I could, truthful I’m conscionable truly blessed with the level I played and to beryllium capable to extremity the twelvemonth arsenic the fig one.”

Alcaraz, who antecedently ended the twelvemonth astatine the apical spot successful 2022, has had the champion play of his career, reaching the last of 3 Grand Slams, winning the French and US Open and losing the Wimbledon decider, facing Sinner connected each 3 occasions.

The 22-year-old, who won 8 titles successful full this season, remains connected people to triumph his archetypal ATP Finals aft overcoming a brave Musetti performance, wherever Alcaraz broke astatine 5-4 up successful the archetypal acceptable earlier comfortably winning the second.

Earlier successful the day, erstwhile Alcaraz and Musetti were shown connected the elephantine surface arsenic they arrived astatine the Inalpi Arena, determination were immense cheers for the Italian and boos for the Spaniard. However, erstwhile they walked onto the tribunal for their showdown, Alcaraz was greeted by lukewarm applause.

Alcaraz took clip to settee and deed a full of 21 unforced errors, portion Musetti much than held his ain successful the opening set. He won 2 work games to emotion earlier being breached successful a nerve-jangling last crippled of the acceptable that stretched to much than 11 minutes.

After that, it was concern arsenic accustomed for Alcaraz arsenic helium broke Musetti successful successive work games to contention into a 5-1 lead.

Even though the assemblage loudly cheered each constituent won by Musetti, helium had nary reply erstwhile the Spaniard upped his game.

Alcaraz and Sinner could good bash conflict 1 last clip this year, with the Italian already into the different semifinal arsenic victor of the Bjorn Borg Group earlier his last round-robin lucifer against Ben Shelton connected Friday.

“This tourney is truly important for me,” added Alcaraz, who volition look either Alexander Zverev oregon Felix Auger-Aliassime successful the past four.

“I’m excited astir qualifying for the semifinals and hopefully getting to the final. We volition see, portion of the occupation is done, but I’m excited to support going.”

Alcaraz strikes the shot during his lucifer against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti connected Thursday [Marco Bertorello/AFP]

De Minaur downs Fritz

Australia’s De Minaur enactment successful a superb show to bounce backmost from losing his opening 2 matches, and bushed past year’s losing finalist Fritz 7-6(3) 6-3 successful a lucifer wherever the American’s usually reliable work crippled fto him down.

De Minaur lived up to his ‘Demon’ nickname, showing vigor and quality arsenic helium hustled the lethargic-looking Fritz each implicit the court. After taking the first-set tiebreak, helium stormed to triumph pursuing an aboriginal interruption successful the 2nd set.

Defeat sent Fritz home, but De Minaur was relying connected an Alcaraz triumph to marque the past four, a information adjacent the Australian seemed confused astir aft his win.

“Is that really existent oregon not? I don’t know, I don’t spot you close now, I’m gonna person to spot what happens,” De Minaur said erstwhile told of the permutations.

De Minaur acceptable up a past 4 gathering with Sinner contempt winning lone 1 round-robin match, the aforesaid fig arsenic Musetti and Fritz.