Alcaraz loses to Zverev in ATP Finals debut, Medvedev beats Rublev
BBC – Carlos Alcaraz suffered defeat on his ATP Finals debut as Alexander Zverev fought back to win in Turin, Italy.
Wimbledon champion Alcaraz lost 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-4 to Germany’s Zverev, who won the event in 2018 and 2021.
It is the first time the 20-year-old Spaniard has lost three matches in a row since March 2021, when he was ranked outside the world’s top 100.
In the day’s other Red Group singles match, third seed Daniil Medvedev beat fellow Russian Andrey Rublev 6-4 6-2.
World number two Alcaraz missed last year’s tournament with an abdominal injury and was making his debut at the season-ending men’s event for the world’s top eight players.
He had been hampered by foot and back problems last month and lost in his opening match at the Paris Masters on his return from injury.
His shaky form continued on Monday as he struggled for consistency on the fast indoor hard court against Zverev.
There was a worrying moment for the German – who missed last year’s event while recovering from a nasty right ankle injury sustained at the 2022 French Open – when he fell on his left ankle towards the end of the match.
“I didn’t twist my ankle. I kind of slipped. There was a pain for a while and I don’t think any damage has been done,” the ATP Finals website quoted Zverev as saying. “I hope not and we will see when it settles down. It is nothing comparable to Paris.”
Medvedev halts losing run
World number three Daniil Medvedev was defeated in all three of his round-robin matches in Turin last year, losing all of them in third-set tie-breaks.
But the 2020 champion has got off to a much better start this time and was in dominant form against compatriot Rublev, whose increasing frustration boiled over at times.
The ATP Finals features eight of the year’s best men’s players split into two groups of four, with the top two qualifying for the semi-finals.
Novak Djokovic is the defending champion and secured the year-end number one status with victory over Denmark’s Holger Rune on Sunday.