By Chalien Dantes

Alex de Minaur clawed his way out of a rough patch at the ATP Finals, while also helping Carlos Alcaraz secure a spot in the semifinals in Turin.

Needing a straight-sets win to stay in the race, the Australian delivered exactly that by defeating American Taylor Fritz 7-6 (7-3), 6-3  to end Fritz’s tournament run.

Later on Thursday, Spain’s Alcaraz will take on Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in the last match of the Jimmy Connors Group. Musetti will try to block De Minaur’s path to the semifinals, while Alcaraz aims to clinch the group’s top spot and seal the year-end world No 1 ranking.

De Minaur, 26, has had a tough road in Turin. He entered the match after two losses and a string of 16 straight defeats to top 10 opponents, including a painful collapse against Musetti two days earlier, when he blew a 5-3 lead in the final set. But this time, he steadied himself and found his rhythm.