TURIN, Italy: Alexander Zverev surged into the semi-finals of the ATP Finals after eliminating French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz with a 7-6(5), 6-4 victory, while Casper Ruud also advanced with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 win over Andrey Rublev on Friday.
German Zverev entered the contest as the group leader with two victories from two matches—against Rublev and Ruud—but needed to win at least one set against Alcaraz to secure his place in the semi-finals.
In a tight opening set, momentum swung back and forth before the German second seed emerged victorious in the tiebreak. He then built a 3-1 lead in the second set before surviving a late fightback from Alcaraz.
The result handed Zverev a 6-5 lead in his meetings with Alcaraz. It was the world number two's 69th win of the season, marking the most victories in a single season since three-time major winner Andy Murray achieved 78 wins in 2016.
"He (Alcaraz) beat me too many times this year in important matches, so I'm happy that I got this one," Zverev said.
"Obviously, I feel like we have a pretty good rivalry with a great friendship as well, so it's always nice to play against him... Just sharing the court with him. He's a great guy, and I'm looking forward to the next matches with him as well.
"It's been three fantastic matches. I'm happy with being 3-0 in the group for sure, but I think now the semi-final is going to be very difficult. (Taylor) beat me the past few times at the slams, so I'm looking forward to that match."
The victory was even sweeter for Zverev as he had finished second best in the French Open final against Alcaraz in June.
Second seed Zverev topped the John Newcombe Group and will next face US Open finalist Taylor Fritz.
Since reaching his first semi-final at the ATP Finals in 2018, only record 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic (five) has made it to the semi-finals of the tournament more often than the 27-year-old German, who has now qualified four times.
Alcaraz, who picked up his first win at this year's ATP Finals with a straight-sets victory over Rublev on Wednesday, again wore pink nasal tape, having suffered from respiratory issues in recent days.
World number seven Ruud, runner-up in 2022, withstood some big hitting from Rublev's ferocious forehand and sealed the win with an ace.
"I knew coming into this match that a set was enough to qualify, so I was a bit nervous at the start. When I got that first set, I could breathe out a little," Ruud said.
He will face world number one Jannik Sinner for a place in the final.
— Reuters
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