Turin, Nov 11 (IANS) Carlos Alcaraz kept his bid for a second year-end No. 1 ranking alive with a hard-fought comeback win over Taylor Fritz at the ATP Finals in Turin on Tuesday.

The five-time Grand Slam champion recovered from a set down to defeat last year’s runner-up 6-7 (2/7), 7-5, 6-3, making it two wins from two in the Jimmy Connors Group.

The victory puts Alcaraz within one win of securing the top spot in the ATP rankings for 2025. He will seal it if he beats Lorenzo Musetti in his final group match on Thursday.

“I’m really happy that I was able to come back, find my good tennis,” Alcaraz said after the match. “I just tried to make the most of the opportunities that he gave to me. I think we played great tennis, some great points.”

Alcaraz, who was replaced by Jannik Sinner as world number one following the Paris Masters earlier this month, can reclaim and confirm the top spot with another group-stage win. For Sinner to have any chance of retaining the year-end No. 1 ranking, he must defend his Finals title unbeaten.

The Spaniard now holds a 5-1 career record over Fritz, whose only victory against him came at the Laver Cup in September. The American, meanwhile, will take on Alex de Minaur in his final group match to keep his semifinal hopes alive.

Fritz, who began his Turin campaign with a dominant win over Musetti, looked sharp early, holding serve in a testing opening game after saving two break points. Alcaraz matched his intensity, fending off three break points to level at 1-1.

The set swung back and forth — Alcaraz broke for a 3-2 lead but was immediately broken back — before heading to a tiebreak. Fritz’s booming serve and aggressive forehand saw him through 7-2, sealing the opener after a grueling 70-minute battle.

The second set saw both men trade heavy groundstrokes and long rallies, with Fritz earning two break points in a marathon fifth game. Alcaraz dug deep, saving both — one with a searing forehand, the other with an ace — and celebrated his hold as if it were the match itself after a 21-minute service game.

At 5-5, Fritz blinked first. Two untimely unforced errors gifted Alcaraz three set points, and the Spaniard converted the second with a stunning passing shot to level the match.

With momentum on his side, Alcaraz broke Fritz in the sixth game of the decider to take control. The American showed resilience, saving three match points at 3-5, but Alcaraz held firm, closing out the contest with a love hold as Fritz sent a backhand wide.

The win not only extended Alcaraz’s unbeaten run in the group but also brought him to the brink of ending the season as world number one for the second time.

If Alex de Minaur defeats Musetti later tonight, Alcaraz will also confirm his place in the semifinals of the ATP Finals.

–IANS

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