Breathless Moments: Taylor Fritz’s Thrilling Battle Against Alcaraz Shook the ATP Finals.NN

The fifth game of the second set of Taylor Fritz’s ATP Tour Finals match against Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday was instructive for understanding the size of the task facing the American, and the rest of the chasing pack, in men’s tennis.

Fritz — the world No. 6 — was leading by a set to love, with Alcaraz serving at 2-2. In a 14-minute game with eight deuces, he hit something close to his peak, playing the brand of aggressive, forceful tennis required to put the world No. 1 on his heels. Fritz forced two break points that would have given him a 3-2 lead, leaving him three service holds from his first tour-level victory over the Spaniard. Given how well he was serving, making over 80 per cent of his first serves in the set, it would have felt like a commanding lead.

The American, the great maximizer of his era in the sport, was operating at his best level.

It was not enough.

“I executed on a lot of the harder things that I wanted to do and kind of almost let it get away from me on maybe some of the things that should be a bit easier to do,” Fritz said in his news conference.

Alcaraz somehow clung on to hold serve, broke Fritz to win the set and then streaked away with the third, to consign Fritz to a 6-7(2), 7-5, 6-3 defeat. In doing so, Alcaraz reminded everyone why he and Jannik Sinner have been almost unbeatable against the rest of the field this year.

In that epic of a game, even Fritz’s movement and defensive skills, two of the less-developed tools in his box, were outstanding. Alcaraz’s movement and defense are basically peerless, but Fritz matched him — almost. When one of the break points arrived, Alcaraz saved it with some outrageous defense that included a lob hoisted over Fritz as he looked ready to finally put his opponent away.

Winning the point brought out Alcaraz’s trademark finger-to-the-ear celebration, which he reserves for the most spectacular moments. Alcaraz saved the second break point with an ace out wide, on a day when his first serve was mostly AWOL, and when he finally won the game he raised his hands to the air as if he’d just won the title.

Both players knew how big winning that game was, and Fritz might have been expected to suffer some sort of letdown. Instead he held for 3-3 in barely a minute, taking in two aces and two service winners. For most of the year, tennis watchers have been bemoaning the lack of a genuine threat to Sinner and Alcaraz, but here Fritz had the latter on the rack.

And it looked as though his moment might have arrived a few games later, when at 4-4, deuce he had a forehand on top of the net to move up break point. Fritz caught the ball just as he wanted, fizzing it down the line, deep into the corner. But there was Alcaraz, guiding a forehand pass crosscourt for a winner. Like the set as a whole, and like that 14-minute game, there was nothing more Fritz could have done. As at this year’s Wimbledon, when Fritz lost in four sets despite playing a brilliant second one and an incredible fourth-set tiebreak, it still wasn’t quite sufficient.

Both players knew how big winning that game was, and Fritz might have been expected to suffer some sort of letdown. Instead he held for 3-3 in barely a minute, taking in two aces and two service winners. For most of the year, tennis watchers have been bemoaning the lack of a genuine threat to Sinner and Alcaraz, but here Fritz had the latter on the rack.

And it looked as though his moment might have arrived a few games later, when at 4-4, deuce he had a forehand on top of the net to move up break point. Fritz caught the ball just as he wanted, fizzing it down the line, deep into the corner. But there was Alcaraz, guiding a forehand pass crosscourt for a winner. Like the set as a whole, and like that 14-minute game, there was nothing more Fritz could have done. As at this year’s Wimbledon, when Fritz lost in four sets despite playing a brilliant second one and an incredible fourth-set tiebreak, it still wasn’t quite sufficient.