German tennis star Alexander Zverev has been eliminated in the group stage of the ATP Finals. He lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-7 (4-7) and will miss the semifinals. Auger-Aliassime now faces Carlos Alcaraz.
Alexander Zverev shook his head and looked disappointed at the ground after losing his final match of the ATP season to Felix Auger-Aliassime. The 28-year-old fell 4-6, 6-7 (4-7) and was thus eliminated in the group stage of the prestigious tournament in Turin. «That's naturally bitter, to have lost the last match on the ATP Tour in this way,» said Boris Becker on Sky. «From a German perspective, it's frustrating. The second set wasn't good enough.»
Auger-Aliassime advances to the semifinals, where he faces world number one Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. Alcaraz won all three group matches and will end the year as number 1. In the other semifinal, defending champion Jannik Sinner is the clear favorite against Alex de Minaur.
For Zverev, it marked the end of a weak season. He secured only one tournament win in April in Munich and suffered from back problems. As the 2021 Olympic champion, he finishes as world number three. His last chance is the Davis Cup in Bologna, where he aims to lead Germany to its first triumph since 1993.
Before the match, there were whistles due to a delay in entering the court. Auger-Aliassime waited for Zverev, which Becker called a «nerve game.» Zverev wasted break points as against Sinner: two in the first set, two in the second at 2-2. He argued with his box and checked his blood sugar, as he suffers from diabetes. Luck eluded him in the tiebreak, and the defeat lasted 2:07 hours.
The match was interrupted in the first set due to a medical incident in the stands; the person is doing well. Previously, two elderly men died in connection with the tournament.