TURIN, Italy — Alex de Minaur clinched his first triumph at the ATP Finals, setting the stage for a potential semifinal appearance on Thursday.
De Minaur triumphed over Taylor Fritz with a score of 7-6 (3), 6-3, marking his inaugural win in six matches at this prestigious year-end tournament for the top eight contenders, after his debut outing last year.
The seventh-seeded De Minaur required a straight-sets victory to keep his semifinal hopes alive, which he will secure if Carlos Alcaraz defeats Lorenzo Musetti later on Thursday.
Should Alcaraz win, he will also claim the year-end No. 1 ranking.
“Whatever happens, happens,” De Minaur remarked. “But I’ll be focusing on relaxing and enjoying a pleasant evening here in Torino.”
After dominating the tiebreak, De Minaur pressed forward, even though he faced a moment to clinch the win on Fritz’s serve at match point, only for the American to hold steady. Nevertheless, De Minaur maintained his composure on his own serve and secured the victory.
Musetti has his own path to the semifinals if he can overcome Alcaraz. Meanwhile, Fritz, seeded sixth and a finalist in Turin last year, has been eliminated from the tournament.
