ATP Finals: World number one Carlos Alcaraz battles past Taylor Fritz

The two-hour and 48-minute contest, part of the Jimmy Connors Group, was widely hailed as the best match of the season-ending championships so far.

Last year's finalist Fritz made an inspired start, claiming the opening set in a tense tiebreak 7-6(2) with aggressive baseline hitting and precise serving.

Alcaraz, however, weathered the storm, saving key break points in the second set before breaking late to level the contest 7-5.

With the momentum shifting, the Spaniard found another gear in the decider. Exploiting signs of fatigue from his opponent, Alcaraz broke to lead 4-2 and confidently served out to love to seal victory, maintaining his perfect record in Turin with two wins from two.

"It was pretty tight. I was struggling more than him in the first set," Alcaraz said.

"I wasn't serving well, and I think he was pretty comfortable from the baseline, from everywhere."

The victory moves the 21-year-old closer to securing a place in the semifinals. His progression could be confirmed as early as Wednesday if Alex de Minaur defeats Lorenzo Musetti.

Alcaraz will then face Musetti himself on Thursday, needing just one more victory to guarantee finishing the season as the year-ending world number one.

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