There is no need for calculations, there will be no emergencies for Carlos Alcaraz, who has already qualified for the semifinals of the Masters Cup thanks to favor daytime by Alex de Minaur. The Australian tennis player, still smarting from the painful defeat suffered, recovers and resurfaces. Count on him too, still with options. Not so the American Taylor Fritz: 7-6(3) and 6-3, in 1h 34m. The doors to the semi-finals are therefore wide open for Carlos Alcaraz, who tonight (8:30 p.m., Movistar+) will face Musetti with the pass in hand, but not without incentives. It is not the same, of course, to do so as first or second in the group, or with or without the throne secured.
Having achieved the first objective without the need to have played, an extra awaits the Murcian (22 years old) this Thursday, taking into account that a victory would guarantee him number one at the end of the year. It would be the second time, and since then a supersonic growth that outlines this powerful Alcaraz of today, hand in hand with Jannik Sinner and already installed in the sphere of the exceptional. Big words, but there is still work to be done: beating Musetti would bring him the prize and an addition that should not be underestimated, since the possibility of crossing paths with Sinner (leader of the other block) on Saturday would disappear.
Against the odds, the Spaniard receives the involuntary help of De Minaur, to whom the tournament perhaps owed the victory. He had it close against Musetti, but he skidded and now he makes up for it. “Losing these types of games is affecting me a lot mentally,” he said. Depending on what may happen at night, he is still alive. No, on the other hand, the disappointing Fritz, who seals his time at the Inalpi Arena with a victory, in retrospect insufficient. Crooked since the tiebreaker of the first set, there he was out of luck, the American finished the exercise with a poor performance that corroborates what we have seen so far: he has the conditions, but he does not take advantage of them. The future demands much more.
Now, De Minaur is confident of returning favor, since a victory for Alcaraz in the night’s finale would guide him to the semifinals. In that case, he would run into Sinner. Bad business. It is worth remembering that the Italian (24 years old) with an exhibition against Alexander Zverev, surrendered in two sets and overwhelmed on all sides: on serve, on the rest, in rallies. The one from Hamburg will have to fight it tomorrow, against the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. Ben Shelton no longer enters the equation. In the opposite direction, Alcaraz will face the group’s last date without urgency, as well as without relaxation. The incentive is too juicy to let it escape; Now, in Turin and with a local tennis player in front of us.
“Today I will be the fan number one in Alcaraz”, De Miñaur then explains, disconsolate two days before and now, at peace with himself. The cyclothymia of tennis. “This victory gives me more relief than pleasure. Tuesday was one of the hardest days of my career, I hit rock bottom and I hated this sport; Now, however, I feel great”, continues the oceanic, finally unlocked. He has no shortage of reasons: it is his first victory against a top-10 this course. “It pains me to say it this way, but I feel like I should have achieved better results than these, but they simply haven’t arrived,” he concludes, hoping that a few hours later, the player from El Palmar will give him the necessary push.
THE FINAL SCENARIOS OF THE GROUP
A) Regardless of the score, if Musetti beats Alcaraz, the Italian wins the group and the Spaniard is classified as second.
B) If Alcaraz beats Musetti in two sets, the Spaniard wins the group and De Miñaur is classified as second.
C) If Alcaraz beats Musetti in three sets, the Spaniard wins the group and De Miñaur is classified as second.
