Alexander Zverev maintained his impressive performance at the ATP Finals, securing a spot in the semi-finals in Turin with a commanding 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory over third seed Carlos Alcaraz. Following his triumph at the Paris Masters, Zverev, seeded second, extended his winning streak to eight matches, having defeated Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, and Andrey Rublev in Turin.
The opening set was fiercely contested, with Zverev earning a set point on Alcaraz's serve before the Spaniard forced a tiebreak. Zverev capitalized on his excellent serving, while Alcaraz made a crucial error with a loose forehand at 4-5. Carrying this momentum into the second set, Zverev broke serve early and delivered consistently under pressure. The 27-year-old concluded the match with an impressive 79% first serve percentage, nine aces, and only one double fault.
Alcaraz's performance in Turin has been hampered by a viral illness he contracted prior to the event. Symptoms were evident even during pre-tournament promotional activities, with the Spaniard frequently coughing and blowing his nose. He struggled in his opening defeat against Ruud but managed to stay competitive with a straight sets win over Rublev on Wednesday.
In the semi-finals, Zverev will face fifth seed Taylor Fritz, who finished second in his group behind world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Fritz has defeated Zverev at both Wimbledon and the US Open this year, reaching his first grand slam final at the latter tournament. The second-place qualifier from the John Newcombe Group will be determined by Casper Ruud's match against Andrey Rublev. Ruud will advance to the semi-finals with a set win, but a straight sets victory for Rublev would necessitate a decision based on game percentage.
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