De Minaur defeats Fritz to win first ATP Finals title, needs support from Alcaraz

TURIN, Italy — Alex de Minaur’s first win at the ATP Finals gave the Australian a chance to reach the semifinals on Thursday.

De Minaur beat Taylor Fritz 7-6 (3), 6-3 for his first win in six games in the late-season quarterfinals following his debut last year.

Seventh-seeded De Minaur needs a straight-sets victory to stay in contention for a semifinal spot, which he will secure if Carlos Alcaraz beats Lorenzo Musetti later on Thursday.

A victory for Alcaraz would also secure the Spaniard’s top spot in the year-end rankings.

“Whatever happens, happens,” De Minaur said. “But I won’t focus too much on tennis. I’ll relax and have a good night in Turin.”

De Minaur never looked back after dominating the tiebreak, and when he reached match point he had a chance to seal the win on Fritz’s serve, but the American held on. De Minaur maintained his courage to serve and eventually won.

If Musetti defeats Alcaraz, he will advance to the semifinals. Sixth seed Fritz, who reached the Turin final last year, was eliminated.