Turin (Italy), Nov 13 (NationPress) Alex de Minaur from Australia triumphed over Taylor Fritz of the USA in a crucial group match, keeping his hopes of advancing in the ATP Finals alive. De Minaur secured a victory with a score of 7-6(3), 6-3, which ultimately dashed Fritz's aspirations in the Jimmy Connors group, although de Minaur's own fate now hinges on other group outcomes.

After a painful three-set loss to Lorenzo Musetti on Tuesday evening, de Minaur understood that he needed to defeat Fritz in straight sets to maintain any chance of progressing to the semifinals of this high-stakes event.

Having fulfilled his end of the deal, he now requires Carlos Alcaraz, the World No. 1, to overcome Musetti to secure his place in the semifinals.

Displaying an impressive, aggressive style of play, De Minaur dominated a nervous Fritz, concluding the round-robin stage with a 1-2 record. If Alcaraz, who has already qualified, manages to defeat Musetti later on Thursday, de Minaur will join him in the semifinals. Musetti, on the other hand, will advance if he beats Alcaraz. Last year's finalist, Fritz, also ended with a 1-2 record in the round-robin phase and is now eliminated.

"After experiencing quite a bit of heartbreak lately, it felt great to finally secure a win here in Turin," remarked de Minaur after achieving his first victory over a Top 10 player this season outside of team competitions. "I have dedicated significant effort, so it was rewarding to receive some positive feedback for my hard work, and I am truly satisfied with my performance."

The seventh seed, De Minaur, almost clinched victory on Fritz's serve at 2-5 when he reached match point. Although Fritz held, unlike the previous match against Musetti, de Minaur maintained his composure to celebrate his victory. He raised his fist in triumph to the crowd, a stark contrast to the emotions felt just 40 hours prior in the Inalpi Arena.

Fritz, who has fond memories of Turin after reaching the final last season, had previously defeated Musetti in his opening match this year before falling to Alcaraz in a three-set battle. The sixth seed struggled during the one-hour, 35-minute duel against De Minaur and couldn’t recover adequately after losing his serve early on. Fritz committed 33 unforced errors and won a mere 67% of his first-serve points, which is lower than the 84% he achieved against Musetti and 71% against Alcaraz.

Fritz concludes his season with a 53-23 record, as per the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. The American secured titles on grass at Eastbourne and Stuttgart.