Carlos Alcaraz saved two match points to beat Taylor Fritz 6-7(10), 7-5, 6-3 on Friday night, reaching the Paris Masters semifinals for the first time and settling the final place at the ATP Finals.
Fritz needed a win to qualify for Turin. Instead, Alcaraz’s comeback confirmed Rafael Jodar as the eighth and final qualifier, completing a day in which both remaining American challengers saw their hopes end in Paris.
Two chances to finish it, then a turnaround
Fritz won a long first-set tie-break after saving three set points. He then moved ahead in the second set and came within a point of a straight-sets victory on two separate occasions.
The ATP’s match report placed the first match point on Alcaraz’s serve at 3-5 in the second set. The Spaniard survived, held for 4-5, and then faced another match point as Fritz served for the match. A crosscourt forehand passing shot kept him alive again.
Alcaraz broke back for 5-5 and won the following two games to take the match into a deciding set. He then moved 3-1 ahead in the third and finished the comeback after two hours and 45 minutes, according to the ATP.
What changed for Alcaraz
The turning point was not simply the score becoming level. Alcaraz gave himself another set to reduce the errors that had left him in trouble and made Fritz play through the disappointment of two missed opportunities.
The ATP reported 11 unforced errors from Alcaraz in the third set, compared with 14 in the second. He also credited the crowd’s energy for helping him through the difficult moments. That account supports a comeback built on persistence and improved execution, rather than any claim that Fritz stopped competing.
The result extended Alcaraz’s lead in their head-to-head series to 7-1. He is the first Spaniard to reach the Paris semifinals since Rafael Nadal in 2020, the ATP reported.
Jodar gets the final ticket to Turin
For Jodar, the decisive result came in a match he was not playing. Fritz’s defeat removed the last threat to his place in the eight-man ATP Finals field.
The confirmed qualifiers are Alexander Zverev, Alcaraz, Ben Shelton, Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli, Arthur Fils, Frances Tiafoe and Jodar. The event runs from November 15 to 22 in Turin.
Earlier on Friday, Shelton’s win over Tommy Paul had secured Tiafoe’s place. Both Tiafoe and Jodar will make their debuts at the season-ending event, according to the BBC’s report.
What comes next in Paris
Semifinal update, November 7: Alcaraz will face Casper Ruud, who beat Nuno Borges 7-6(5), 6-4 in the quarterfinals. The result is confirmed by the ATP official results. Ruud replaces the either-or scenario in the first version of this article.
Reaching the last four also keeps Alcaraz in contention for a ninth Masters 1000 title. The immediate achievement, though, is more specific: he turned a match that was twice one point from ending into his first Paris semifinal.
Quick answers
What was the Alcaraz-Fritz score?
Alcaraz won 6-7(10), 7-5, 6-3. He saved two match points in the second set.
Did Fritz qualify for the ATP Finals?
No. His defeat confirmed Rafael Jodar as the final qualifier.
Sources: ATP official match report and BBC Sport.
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