Rafael Nadal lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime for the first time as his poor run of results continued at the ATP Finals in Turin, where he looks set for a group-stage exit.
In the Green Group, Auger-Aliassime ran out a 6-3 6-4 winner over the 22-time grand slam champion, whose uncle Toni Nadal is on his opponent's coaching team.
Nadal came to Italy with a chance to snatch the year-end number one ranking from Carlos Alcaraz but needed to win this tournament, and defeats to Taylor Fritz and now Auger-Aliassime have almost quashed that prospect.
On Tuesday, the 36-year-old suffered a fourth successive singles defeat, which began with a US Open last-16 exit to Frances Tiafoe and was followed at the Paris Masters by a loss to Tommy Paul.
Auger-Aliassime was beaten in his opening match by Casper Ruud, but he came from 40-0 behind to break for a 5-3 lead in the opener of this contest, before serving out for the set comfortably enough. A break early in the second set put him on course to wrap up the match, with Nadal struggling to make an impact.
This was just a third meeting between Nadal and Auger-Aliassime on the ATP Tour, with Nadal winning both previous contests, including an epic five-set contest in the French Open fourth round in May.
The result this time, however, means Nadal has lost consecutive matches in the round-robin stage of the ATP Finals for the first time since 2011. With a 0-2 record, his only remaining hope of progress hinged on Ruud losing to Fritz later on Tuesday, which would offer Nadal a slim hope going into his final Green Group match against Ruud.
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Auger-Aliassime - 15/2
Nadal - 1/4
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Auger-Aliassime - 32/2
Nadal - 13/4
BREAK POINTS WON
Auger-Aliassime - 2/4
Nadal - 0/5
ATP Finals: Sinner completes perfect group stage with Medvedev win
Jannik Sinner made it three wins from as many matches at the ATP Finals with a routine victory over Daniil Medvedev in his final group-stage outing.
Sinner topped the Ilie Nastase Group and reached the last four with a perfect 3-0 record for the second season in a row, beating Medvedev 6-3 6-4 in 75 minutes.
After a late break saw Sinner take the first set, Medvedev threatened a fightback by reeling off three straight games in the second, only to immediately concede another break.
Speaking after the win, his eighth in 15 all-time meetings with Medvedev, Sinner credited his opponent for posing a tactical challenge.
"I'm trying to find new ways to improve as a player," Sinner said. "I'm trying to win as many matches here as I can. Me and Daniil, we know each other very well.
"So, every time we step on court, we try to change something tactically. I felt like I was ready to see what he was going to do today.
"I know what I have achieved during this year, so I try to step on court with a good mindset. I have beautiful people around me who support me daily, which for me is really important."
Data Debrief: Sinner targeting exclusive club
Sinner's victory ensured smooth passage to the next round, as he bids to replicate the achievements of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, the only previous players to win the Australian Open, US Open and ATP Finals in the same season.
The win – Sinner's ninth in a row – saw him draw level with Alexander Zverev for the most victories on the ATP Tour this year, with 68. They are the first duo to both record at least 50 in a single year since Djokovic (82) and Andy Murray (51) in 2015.
ATP Finals: Comeback win keeps Fritz in semi-final contention
Taylor Fritz has put himself in a strong position to make it to the ATP Finals semis after a comeback win against Alex de Minaur.
Fritz rallied in three sets to triumph 5-7 6-4 6-3 in just over two hours, sealing De Minaur's fate, as he crashed out having failed to win a match.
The Australian made a strong start as he attempted to overturn the odds to reach the semi-finals in his maiden tournament and took control with a break late on, winning the final three games of the first set to take an early advantage.
Fritz fought back, protecting his serve in the opening game before finding his edge late on, and though De Minaur valiantly defended two set points, he could not prevent a decider.
The American eased into cruise control after that, taking a 4-1 lead with a three-game winning streak, from which he did not look back.
"Even though I won the match I feel like there wasn't necessarily any moments when I changed too much," Fritz said.
"He was all over me when I did a great job, but towards the end of the second set, I began to find my serve and I started serving much better.
"When I wasn't creating the first serves, he was just killing me from the baseline. It just gave me a little bit of comfort to just stay in the match and not be under so much pressure all the time. It was still incredibly tough."
His attention now turns to the late match in the Ilie Nastase Group between Jannik Sinner, who has already progressed to the final four, and Daniil Medvedev. The Russian must win in straight sets to progress, but if he drops a set or loses, Fritz will advance along with the world number one.
Data Debrief: On the brink
Any further involvement at the ATP Finals for Fritz may hinge on favours from elsewhere, but he worked hard on Thursday to put himself within touching distance of the semi-finals for the second time.
He struggled against the big serves of De Minaur, whose aggressive approach saw him outhit Fritz with 12 winners to seven, though he could not translate it into a win.
It means that Fritz (nine) is the first American player to register 9+ wins against top-10 opponents in a single season since Pete Sampras (10) and Andre Agassi (12) in 1999.
ATP Finals: Zverev targets 10 more years at the top after Ruud win
Alexander Zverev outlined his plan to stay at the top of the game for another decade after overcoming Casper Ruud in his second match at the ATP Finals.
Having started his campaign at the season finale in Turin by downing Andrey Rublev, Zverev made it two wins from as many matches with a 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 victory over the Norwegian.
He needed just 86 minutes to wrap up his victory, hitting 28 winners to his opponent's 13 in a confident, powerful performance.
Zverev is appearing at the ATP Finals for a seventh time, and another victory over Carlos Alcaraz on Friday would secure his spot in the semi-finals.
The German has won the event on two previous occasions, beating Novak Djokovic in the 2018 showpiece and overcoming Daniil Medvedev in 2021.
Asked what his experience at the ATP Finals meant for his chances of success, he joked: "It means I'm old! But I still don’t feel old.
"I hope I have another solid 10 years ahead of me, but I think it’s a young group of guys.
"There has been kind of a shift in tennis this year and I think it's a good thing. They're exciting new players and everybody loves watching them."
Data Debrief: ATP Finals specialist marches on
Since the ATP Finals moved to Turin for the 2021 event, Zverev's eight victories at the competition have only been bettered by Djokovic's 12.
Meanwhile, the German has also managed more ATP Tour-level wins this year than any other player, with Wednesday's success his 68th of 2024.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
