Qualified for the semi-finals even before playing this last match, Carlos Alcaraz continued his flawless performance in this Masters by correcting (6-4, 6-1) Lorenzo Musetti, Thursday evening in Turin. The Spaniard is thus guaranteed to end the year in first place in the world. Furthermore, his victory also sends Alex De Minaur into the last four.
Carlos Alcaraz as boss. Guaranteed to be in the semi-finals even before playing this third and final match after Alex De Minaur won his first match at the Masters, earlier against Taylor Fritz, the world number 1 did not rest on his laurels however. Quite the contrary.
At the end of a new masterclass from the Spanish prodigy, Juan Carlos Ferrero’s protégé continued his flawless run in Turin since the start of the week by sweeping away Lorenzo Musetti (6-4, 6-1 in 1h24 of play), Thursday evening in Turin during the last match on the program for the Jimmy Connors group.
Only beaten in the first of seven confrontations against the Italian, Alcaraz, who had won the next six, including three victories this season, in Rome, Monte-Carlo and in the semi-finals at Roland-Garros, and now leads 7-1, actually gave his opponent hope up to 4-4 in the first set. While the two players were still neck and neck and neither man had managed to break the other, the Murcian shifted gears and there was no more match.
At 5-4 in its favor, “Carlitos” first put pressure on Musetti’s throw-in. Which allowed him to immediately obtain the first two break points of the set. He took advantage of the second and a big gift from his opponent, releasing an easy forehand, to take the lead and take the lead.
De Minaur can thank an assured Alcaraz to end the year in the number 1 chair
Building on the momentum at the end of the first set, Alcaraz, not content with winning all his service games very easily until then, continued to set such a high pace. Immediately in danger, Musetti finally broke in his second service game.
The world number 1, still impressive on Thursday against an admittedly diminished world number 9, then quickly took off, to finally treat himself to a little walk in the park in this second round.
If the public’s favorite bids farewell to the tournament, Alcaraz climbs into the last four while also avoiding his great rival Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals on the road to his possible first coronation in the event. Above all, the Spaniard ensures that he ends the season in first place in the standings, for the second time in his career.
And Alex De Minaur, who had not planned to watch the match, was able to learn with immense joy that he would also be present in the last four. The Australian can thank Alcaraz.
