Alcaraz lost in reverse at ATP Finals

Italy In his first appearance at the ATP Finals, Carlos Alcaraz lost to Alexander Zverev 7-6(3), 3-6, 4-6 in the Red Group on November 13.

Alcaraz's inconsistent form during the year-end indoor hard-court season continued in his opening match at the year's eight-player tournament. He won the first set against Zverev, but unforced errors and an uncertain serve saw the Spaniard fall behind after more than two and a half hours.

Alcaraz (right) easily beat Zverev at the 2023 US Open, but lost to his German opponent at the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy on November 13. Photo: ATP — Alcaraz (right) easily beat Zverev at the 2023 US Open, but lost to his German opponent at the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy on November 13. Photo: *ATP*

The first set saw Alcaraz come back from 1-3 down. He then saved four break points at 3-3 to take the lead. By the end of the set, the 20-year-old had two set points, but Zverev saved both. The German served second and scored an ace at 217 km/h, before saving the remaining set point with a good first serve.

In the tie-break, Zverev served inconsistently again and let Alcaraz lead 5-2, then 6-3. On the third set-point, Alcaraz did not miss, forcing his opponent to make a mistake at the net.

The match could have ended quickly, if Zverev had not continued to escape danger by serving in the beginning of the second set. After saving a break-point in the first game of the set, the 26-year-old won the next service game and took a 3-0 lead. From then until the end of the match, Alcaraz did not win another service game of his opponent.

Zverev won 90% of his first points, before winning another service game in the third. When he had to save a break point, Alcaraz served the ball into the net, then dropped the ball when his opponent returned it on the court. It was not until the final game that the 20-year-old had a chance to tie the game, but Zverev scored an ace and ended his junior's hopes.

Zverev caused concern among fans when he dislocated his ankle after making a save in the third set. Despite being in pain for a few seconds, he got up and continued to play and won the match. Last year, he missed the season after severely dislocating his ankle in the semi-finals of Roland Garros against Rafael Nadal.

Alcaraz's chances of winning a seventh title of the season, and his first since Wimbledon, have been narrowed by his third straight defeat. The Spaniard was eliminated by Grigor Dimitrov at the Shanghai Masters and then lost his opening match at the Paris Masters to Roman Safiullin. He is now in the bottom two of the ATP Finals Red Group, alongside Andrey Rublev, who lost 4-6, 2-6 to Daniil Medvedev in his opening match.

Vy Anh

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