He suffered, he did not shine but in the end Carlos Alcaraz, world number 1, won at the ATP Finals in Turin. After a ‘marathon’ of two hours and 47 minutes of play he beat Taylor Fritz with a score of 6-7 (2), 7-5, 6-3. There are many regrets for the American tennis player who wasted the opportunity to give a surprise on the second day of the ‘Masters’ tournament.
Alcaraz looked uninspired and it was immediately apparent. There is never a pleasant feeling with this surface. The first game was endless, after 19 minutes the game was still tied at 1-1. His tactical reading was almost superficial: Fritz hit from the baseline, Carlitos tried to vary with short balls.
The first break was reserved for the Spaniard, but the counterattack soon came. The world number 1 became nervous, taking turns hitting classy shots with measurement errors. At some point he even burst into anger, and this wasn’t the first time in recent times. “Vamos Carlitos” shouted the fans from the stands. Coach Juan Carlos Ferrero was confused in the box.
The match continued – with Fritz increasingly confident and solid in his serve – until the score was 6-6. In the tiebreaker, Alcaraz made too many mistakes, and for the American, the score was almost equal at 7-2. There was also good balance in the second set, especially in games where the Iberian player served. In the fifth game which lasted 14 minutes, Fritz had more than one break point but in the end the world number one player managed to bring it home. This celebration is symbolic, with hands raised to the sky and eyes closed, in a state of full competition. Tensions skyrocketed. A tense eighth game, Alcaraz wasted several balls on the break. In the ninth set, Fritz was the one who missed the opportunity.
Two hours of playing, my legs felt heavy. Cucumber juice on stool to ward off cramps. At 6-5, the American suffered a slump, perhaps more physical than mental, and Carlitos took advantage of it to close out the set. With Fritz increasingly tired, the third set went smoothly: Murcia’s talent reduced the percentage of errors and closed the score 6-3, giving the public several pearls such as the spectacular ‘veronica’ and various short balls in the goal.
Before the day’s big match, Italian Andrea Vavassori and Simone Bolelli, the home idols, took the Inalpi arena by storm. After a successful first day of the doubles tournament, they had an encore by beating the proven pair of Spaniard Marcel Granollers and Argentinian Horacio Zeballos (3rd place) 7-6 (4) 6-4. Successfully qualify for the semifinals next Saturday. The match was fierce: the Azzurri gave it their all, they know how to suffer when they are behind, and in the first set tiebreak they left no chance for their opponents. Finally in the second set, they immediately took the lead and were able to manage their lead until the end. “One of the best matches we played. We saved some difficult points, we managed to be a little cooler in important moments and we tried to take advantage of every opportunity that came our way” they commented post-match. Another arrow in the blue bow.
ANSA Agency Bolelli-Vavassori fly to semifinals in doubles – ATP Finals 2025 – Ansa.it Italian pair beat Granollers/Zeballos 7-6 6-4 (ANSA)
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