Arevalo and Pavic claw back from match points down
Deep into a tense decider at the Nitto ATP Finals, Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic turned the tide on two match points, securing a gritty first win in the John McEnroe Group and extending their flawless rivalry edge.
In the charged atmosphere of Turin's Inalpi Arena, the fourth-seeded duo of Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic stared down a potential early exit from the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals on Wednesday evening. Facing Christian Harrison and Evan King in a clash that carried the weight of a perfect head-to-head season, they battled through a 7-6(5), 6-7(2), 13-11 thriller lasting one hour and 51 minutes. Saving two match points in the match tie-break, the pair claimed their fourth straight victory over the Americans in 2025, igniting their campaign in the John McEnroe Group.
Rivalry tests resolve under pressure
The psychological layers of this matchup built on a year of dominance, where Arevalo and Pavic had outmaneuvered Harrison and King across various surfaces, now culminating on the fast indoor hard courts of Turin. Each tie-break in the sets amplified the tension, with the crowd's energy surging as baseline exchanges stretched into defensive scrambles, Harrison and King's aggressive returns forcing the seeds to rely on deep crosscourt placements to regain footing. Their serving proved the bedrock, converting 86 percent of first-delivery points—50 out of 58—while fending off all six break threats, a tactical anchor that allowed varied angles like inside-out forehands to disrupt the Americans' rhythm.
Victory injected fresh momentum, as Arevalo noted post-match, highlighting how such a narrow escape sustains belief amid the tournament's grind. The indoor conditions, with balls skidding low, rewarded precise placement over raw power, enabling the pair to mix flat serves wide with targeted second deliveries down the T to preserve holds.
“Definitely it gives you a boost. No matter how you are feeling on the court, after a win like this it definitely gives you confidence and motivation and keeps you in the tournament, which is the most important thing,” reflected Arevalo. “This match was critical for me and Mate to keep surviving in the tournament. It was right on the edge, and it fell on our side, so we are happy and now we just have to recover and prepare for the Friday match.”
and breathe @CheloArevaloATP and Mate Pavic save two match points as they squeak past Harrison/King and lock in their first victory in the John McEnroe Group! #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/8iRcWxfEWd
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 12, 2025
Let call swings the decider's momentum
As the match tie-break hit 10-9, Harrison and King seized their first match point on return, only for it to evaporate under pressure, setting up a second chance at 11-10 with Evan King serving. The left-hander unleashed what appeared an ace, prompting early celebration, but the call of let halted the moment, followed by a crucial double fault that shifted the tide. Arevalo and Pavic pounced, reeling off the final two points with a sharp crosscourt volley and a down-the-line winner, their net approaches exposing gaps in the opponents' coverage.
Pavic later emphasized that single let as the fine line in modern doubles, where one or two points often decide fates on these quick surfaces. Even operating below peak, the duo's resilience shone through prolonged rallies, using underspin slices to slow the pace and draw errors on inside-in attempts from the baseline. The arena's roar peaked as they embraced, the drama underscoring how mental fortitude turns seasonal pressure into survival.
“One let,” said Pavic, when asked about the difference between victory and defeat in Wednesday’s clash. “This is exactly what shows the differences in doubles these days. They basically won the match. It was a let, he hit an ace, and after that a double fault on a match point. In the end it went down to those one or two points, and a lot of time it’s like that in doubles. With the Match Tie-break, that’s how it is, and the differences are just small. We somehow managed to fight through, even though we are not at our best. We are happy with the win.”
Group dynamics shift toward semis race
This result not only preserved the seeds' unbeaten streak against Harrison and King but clinched a semifinal spot for Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski, the British pair having earlier edged Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten 7-6(7), 3-6, 10-7. For Arevalo and Pavic, now 1-1 in the group, the focus turns to recovery before Friday's pivotal encounter with Heliovaara and Patten—a direct showdown for the last-four berth. On the low-bouncing indoor hard, tactical adjustments like enhanced 1–2 punch serves and proactive poaching could prove key, building on this win to extend their run deeper into the event.
The @CheloArevaloATP handle echoed the relief in real time, capturing the squeak past Harrison and King amid the #NittoATPFinals buzz on November 12, 2025, with the pic.twitter.com/8iRcWxfEWd highlighting the match's intensity. As the John McEnroe Group tightens, such clutch performances remind how doubles thrives on these razor-thin edges, positioning the survivors for a thrilling conclusion.
