De Minaur learns ATP Finals fate

[ad_1] Alex de Minaur has realized his Herculean activity on the ATP Finals in Turin will centre on having to defeat world quantity two Carlos Alcaraz and all-time report grand slam winner Novak Djokovic.

The Australian primary will even face American Taylor Fritz within the event's 'Jimmy Connors Group', with the highest two advancing to the semi-finals within the end-of-season showpiece that begins on Sunday.

The opposite 'Bjorn Borg Group' will convey collectively world primary and defending champ Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton and one in all both Felix Auger-Aliassime or Lorenzo Musetti.

Canadian Auger-Aliassime will nail down the eighth and ultimate place, except Musetti wins the Athens title this week. On Thursday, the Italian reached the semi-finals with a 6-2 6-4 win over Alexandre Müller.

No matter draw de Minaur landed was assured to be a fiendish check at a event that includes the world's high eight gamers, however the 26-year-old Aussie has been speaking bullishly about performing some injury in his second straight 12 months within the Italian showpiece after dropping all three of his round-robin matches on debut in 2024.

The world quantity seven de Minaur will most likely take into account being drawn with Alcaraz, towards whom he is misplaced all his 4 encounters, together with the ultimate in Rotterdam this 12 months, the lesser of two evils, in comparison with having to play his nemesis Jannik Sinner, who owns a dispiriting 12-0 report towards him.

There's additionally nonetheless a query mark over whether or not Djokovic, who beat de Minaur at Wimbledon this 12 months, will even be initially line in Turin for an 18th look on the season-ender.

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Taking part in in Athens, the 24-time grand slam champ, who's taking part in his first event in over a month, stated on Wednesday that he would not decide about Turin till after the Greek event was over.

American world quantity 4 Fritz, who beat de Minaur in final 12 months's round-robin stage at Turin's Inalpi Area, shares a 5-5 profession report with the Australian, although the pair haven't met this 12 months.

There's additionally concern round German world quantity three Zverev who misplaced his Paris Masters semi-final 6-0 6-1 towards Sinner final Saturday whereas fighting ankle issues.

Having been additionally overwhelmed by the Italian within the earlier week's Vienna Open ultimate, Zverev should have given a sigh of dismay at studying he is drawn the world No.1 but once more.

Whereas Djokovic and Musetti had been nonetheless in Tour motion on Thursday, de Minaur and Sinner had been taking day trip to observe on the Inalpi Area three days earlier than the beginning of the event.