De Minaur digs deep to edge Fritz in Turin
With semifinal hopes hanging by a thread after a recent loss, Alex de Minaur turned urgency into execution on the indoor hard courts, outlasting Taylor Fritz in a match that kept his Nitto ATP Finals dream alive while extinguishing the American’s.
In the humming intensity of the Inalpi Arena, Alex de Minaur arrived for his clash in the Jimmy Connors group of the Nitto ATP Finals carrying the weight of a three-set defeat to Lorenzo Musetti just two nights before. The seventh seed knew only a straight-sets win over Taylor Fritz would keep his semifinal aspirations breathing in this prestigious year-end event. He channeled that pressure into a 7-6(3), 6-3 victory, his speed and precision dismantling the sixth seed’s power game amid the swift indoor conditions.
De Minaur’s performance marked a tactical reset, blending aggressive returns with probing inside-out forehands that forced Fritz into uncomfortable positions from the baseline. The Australian’s one–two combinations—serve followed by deep returns—disrupted the American’s setup, turning potential rallies into defensive scrambles on the low-bouncing hardcourt. This edge in agility allowed him to close the first set in a tiebreak, where crosscourt winners neutralized Fritz’s attempts to open the court down the line.
“I have dealt with a fair bit of heartbreak recently, so it was good to finally get a win here in Turin,” De Minaur said after securing his first Top 10 victory of the season outside team events. “I have worked really hard so it was good to get some positive feedback or a positive reward for the hard work, so I am very happy with the performance.”
Overcoming the shadow of recent defeat
The sting of Tuesday’s loss to Musetti lingered, a match where De Minaur had faltered in key moments, his composure tested in the decider. Forty hours later, at 5-2 in the second set with match point on Fritz‘s serve, the American held firm, mirroring the tension from that earlier heartbreak. Yet the Australian held his nerve this time, serving out the win without falter and pumping his fist to the appreciative crowd, a release of the season’s accumulated frustrations.
He reflected on the mental shift that fueled his focus, committing to patterns like underspin backhands that kept Fritz off balance during extended exchanges. This resolve transformed the court into a space of controlled aggression, where De Minaur backed his instincts through tough rallies, leaving no energy untapped in the 95-minute battle. The victory boosted his head-to-head lead over Fritz to 6-5, a first win at the Finals after going 0-3 the previous year.
“It was a tough pill to swallow,” De Minaur said of the Musetti defeat. “I didn’t do much. I didn’t overthink today. I committed to what I needed to do. There were some tough moments out there but I continued to back myself. Whether it worked or didn’t, I was going to leave everything out there today and I ended up with a really good match from the start to the end.”
Exploiting Fritz’s mounting errors
Fritz entered with vivid memories of reaching the final in Turin last season, having started this event with a straight-sets win over Musetti before pushing World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz to three. But against De Minaur’s relentless counterpunching, the 28-year-old unraveled, committing 33 unforced errors and winning just 67 percent of his first-serve points—a drop from 84 percent against Musetti and 71 percent versus Alcaraz. An early break in the second set proved costly, as he struggled to recover on the indoor surface where his booming delivery lost its edge under constant pressure.
De Minaur’s deep returns and inside-in forehands pinned Fritz deep, forcing hurried backhands that sailed long in crosscourt patterns. The American’s power, so effective on grass where he claimed titles in Eastbourne and Stuttgart, faltered here, ending his round-robin at 1-2 and his season at 53-23. This elimination soured his Turin return, highlighting how the Australian’s speed turned the arena’s enclosed energy against him.
Fate tied to Alcaraz’s evening effort
De Minaur closes the group stage at 1-2, his qualification now resting on the outcome of Alcaraz’s match against Musetti later Thursday. A win for the Spaniard, already through, would send the Australian into the semifinals alongside him; a Musetti victory secures the Italian’s spot instead. This wait adds suspense to De Minaur’s campaign, a season of perseverance through setbacks now poised for potential breakthrough in the Inalpi Arena’s spotlight.
The crowd’s roar after his fist pump echoed the lift in his stride, a momentary triumph amid the grind. As the lights hold steady for the next clash, De Minaur’s display underscores a sharpened resolve, blending tactical poise with emotional steel to chase redemption on this stage.
