TURIN: Felix Auger-Aliassime left Rafa Nadal’s title hopes at the ATP Finals in tatters as he beat the struggling Spaniard 6-3 6-4 in round-robin action at the Pala Alpitour Stadium on Tuesday.
Nadal needs to win the year-end title for the first time in his illustrious career to have a chance of preventing compatriot Carlos Alcaraz from ending the year as world number one, but he faded badly after an encouraging start.
The second-ranked 36-year-old was beaten by American Taylor Fritz in his opener on Sunday and is bottom of the Green Group with one match remaining against Norway’s Casper Ruud.
Nadal held the upper hand at times in the first set and twice threatened to break the serve of his opponent.
Serving at 3-4 Nadal led 40-0 but a couple of double faults and some baseline errors allowed Auger-Aliassime to break.
Auger-Aliassime sealed the first set with a solid hold and moved a break ahead early in the second when Nadal stumbled trying to serve and volley.
“I had one match to get used to the conditions and I felt my game was better today, I was hitting it with precision and consistency,” Auger-Aliassime said on court.
Nadal has played only one tournament since the US Open and looked well below his best.
He showed the odd flash of brilliance but could make no impression as he slumped to a defeat which means he will be eliminated if Ruud wins just one set against Fritz later.
In Monday’s late game, Novak Djokovic had enough of an edge at the beginning and the end as he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), a defeat that ended the Greek’s hopes of finishing the year at number one.Djokovic is chasing a record-equalling sixth title in the season-ending event, previously known as the Masters Cup, that brings together the season’s top eight fit players.
The Serbian broke Tsitsipas in the opening game and was not threatened on his own serve as he took the first set.
“The first game was very important to break his serve,” Djokovic said.
“Starting with a break of serve is obviously a huge boost in confidence and a relief as well because we both knew it would be a tight match.”
Tsitsipas managed the only break point of the second set, in the fourth game, after two Djokovic double faults, but the Serbian steadied and held serve.
In the tie break, the Serbian raced to a 5-1 lead. Tsitsipas delayed the inevitable by taking three points before Djokovic took his first match point.
Djokovic is tied on five titles in the event with Pete Sampras and Ivan Lendl. Only Roger Federer, on six, has won more.
“All the players said it. Every match is finals here, there’s no clear favorites to be honest,” said Djokovic. “You got to be really sharp from the start.” - The two-set victory put Djokovic atop the Red Group ahead of the day’s other winner, No. 7 Andrey Rublev of Russia, who beat his compatriot Daniil Medvedev.
Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2022
