There was only one match that had any significance in Friday’s schedule of the Nitto ATP Finals and that was the night between Alexander Zverev and Felix Auger Aliassime to decide which of them would advance to the knockout stages and play Carlos Alcaraz in Saturday’s semifinals.
You want to be in the final, but for that I need a great player. If I have that, I’ll take my chance. Very satisfied Auger
The first match saw Jannik Sinner play Ben Shelton and it was another signature run for the Italian defending champion as he eased past the young American making his debut at the event 6-3 7-6(3) to claim his 29th consecutive victory on indoor courts.
Although Shelton put in a stronger performance in the second set, it never looked like he would be able to gain the upper hand over his opponent, who had already qualified from the group stage.
Shelton may have lost all three of his matches, but he leaves Turin with a paycheck for $248,250.
And so did the evening clash in which Auger Aliassime put in one of his best performances of the week, displacing Zverev from second place in the Bjorn Borg group and finishing the week behind Sinner with two wins and one defeat.
Big disappointment for Zverev, the event’s former two-time champion, after the 6-4 7-6(4) defeat, but a big turnaround and confidence builder for Auger Aliassime who, after his three-set loss earlier this week, looked set for an early exit.
“This is a tournament of high value for players,” said Auger-Aliassime, when asked about his next opponent, Alcaraz. “It’s like a grand final and if you look at the list of champions there have been a lot of number 1s. You want to be in the final but for that I need a great player. I will take my chance when I get it.”
(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
By beating Zverev for his 50th tour-level win of the season, the Canadian became the second from his country to reach the last four at the ATP Finals, the first being Milos Raonic in 2016.
Against Zverev, Auger-Aliassime held off the German’s big serve and struck late in the opener to take the set, saving break points in both the fifth and ninth games.
Although Zverev saved three set points at 4-5, Auger-Aliassime produced a stunning cross-court forehand on his fourth chance to seal the match.
The second set was a little more exciting as both tried to gain an advantage, with Zverev showing more frustration as his efforts were quickly matched by his opponent.
Auger Aliassime dropped three break points early in the set, but did not let it distract him. He maintained his focus to stun Zverev in the tiebreak by claiming two crucial mini-breaks at 4-5, delivering a very welcome victory after two hours and seven minutes of thrilling play.
“It was a great first set. He had a few chances, but I came up with big serves to save them,” said Auger-Aliassime as it improved his world ranking to No. 5. “The first set was very solid and so was the start of the second set. I had a lot of chances. I had a lot of chances.”
“When that happens you have to concentrate on the present, but you are aware of missed opportunities, so the match got a bit tense from then on. But I was able to hold serve and in the tiebreak it was exciting until the end.”
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