There is no need for calculations, and there will be no emergencies for Carlos Alcaraz, who has already qualified for the semi-finals of the Masters Cup thanks to righteous Daytime by Alex de Minaur. The Australian tennis player, still reeling from Tuesday night’s painful defeat to local Lorenzo Musetti, is recovering and making a comeback. Rely on it too, and you still have options. Not so Taylor Fritz: 7-6 (3), 6-3, in 1 hour and 34 minutes. The doors to the semi-final are therefore wide open for Carlos Alcaraz, who tonight (8:30 p.m., Movistar+) will face Musetti with pass in hand, but not without incentives. It is not the same, of course, to do so as first or second in the group, or with or without the guaranteed throne.
Having achieved the first goal without having to play, the Murcian awaits on Thursday evening a wonderful reward, considering that a victory will guarantee them first place at the end of the year. It will be the second time. We are now in 2022, that historic premiere in New York, and since then supersonic growth defines today’s powerful Alcaraz, together with Jannik Sinner and already established in the field of the exceptional. Big talk, but there is still work to be done: a victory over Musetti would bring him the prize and an addition that should not be underestimated, since the possibility of a crossover with Siner (the leader of the other bloc) on Saturday would disappear.
Against all odds, the Spaniard receives involuntary assistance from De Minaur, to whom the tournament probably owes the victory. He was close to facing Musetti, but he slipped and is now making amends. He said: “Losing in such matches affects me a lot on a mental level. Depending on what might happen at night, he would still be alive. No, on the other hand, the disappointing Fritz concludes his participation with victory behind me insufficient. The American, who has been deviant since the tiebreak of the first set, ends the exercise with a weak performance that confirms what we have seen so far: he has the conditions, but he does not take advantage of them. The future requires much more than that.
Now, De Minaur is confident of returning the favor, because a win for Alcaraz in tonight’s final will take him to the semifinals. In this case, he will face Sinner. It is worth noting that the Italian confirmed his status as favorite last night with a display against Alexander Zverev, where he defeated in two sets and won in all aspects: on the serve, in the rest, and in the rallies. The German will have to fight it out tomorrow against Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. In the opposite direction, Alcaraz will face the group’s final date without urgency and without complacency. The urge is so juicy that it cannot be allowed to escape. Now, in Turin and in front of us is a local tennis player.
Final scenarios for the group
to) Regardless of the result, if Musetti wins over Alcaraz, the Italian will top the group and the Spaniard will be ranked second.
for) If Alcaraz beats Musetti in two sets, the Spaniard wins the set and De Minaur is seeded second.
c) If Alcaraz beats Musetti in three sets, the Spaniard wins the set and De Minaur is seeded second.
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