Alex de Minaur kept his ATP Finals semi-final hopes alive with a gritty 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 victory over Taylor Fritz on Thursday in Turin. The Australian, who had been left dejected after throwing away a match point against Lorenzo Musetti earlier in the week, showed remarkable resilience to secure his first ever win at the season-ending championship.
De Minaur's triumph was only the first step in his path to the last four. He then had to wait for Carlos Alcaraz to defeat home favourite Lorenzo Musetti 6-4 6-1 later in the day, confirming the Australian's place as runner-up in the Jimmy Connors Group. Alcaraz's win also sealed the world No 1 ranking for the end of the season.
Reflecting on his emotional journey, De Minaur said: "A couple of days ago was one of the toughest days I've had in my career. I was in a very, very dark spot. Now here we are two days later, and I'm feeling great about myself. It's incredible." He becomes only the third Australian to reach the ATP Finals semi-finals, after John Newcombe and Lleyton Hewitt.
After his win over Fritz, De Minaur wrote "Finally" alongside a smiley emoji on the courtside camera lens. The 26-year-old Sydneysider had lost all five of his previous matches at the ATP Finals, including his first two in Turin this year. "I've dealt with a fair bit of heartbreak recently," he said. "It was good to finally get a win here in Turin."
