Carlos Alcaraz knows his opponent in the semifinals of the Nitto ATP Finals 2025. It is the Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime, who had the courage to defeat Alexander Zverev tonight to gift himself another dance in Turin.
It shouldn't be news, much less, that Félix Auger-Aliassime beats Alexander Zverev. Firstly, because he had already done it several times in the past. Secondly, because in the ATP Finals, he plays under conditions where the Canadian shines, grows, reaches his maximum potential to dine at the table of the best. Thirdly, because here comes his friend Sascha with a dynamic of not quite knowing which group he belongs to. He seems to be clear about his world No. 3 ranking, but then on the court, he fails to prove it. The frustration of making a leap in quality is what sometimes leads him to slip up against the pursuers coming from behind.
On the other side this evening, Félix was facing a player who almost always arrives floating on this season's circuit, loaded with confidence after good indoor results – including a title – and with little fear of facing Zverev, who no longer instills the fear he did some years ago. Today, Alexander is a vulnerable, weak player, and, as if that weren't enough, far from his best version. All of this ends up affecting his mental aspect, meaning he won't be able to dominate the crucial points of an important match. This was evident in the last game of the first set, where Zverev left the door open for a break, and there came Aliassime to take the set.
Of course, considering the Canadian's history, we couldn't take anything for granted either. What is Felix's hardest subject? Besides his backhand, yes. It has always been the mental one. For some reason, the young man struggles to perform at his best when the day of truth comes. And if he overcomes it one day, the next day the barrier rises five meters higher. Saturday's match entailed several phases. The first one is always about performance, hence the one in better form took the first set. But after that moment, everything becomes mental, whether you like it or not. The player leading thinks about how close victory is, while the one trailing, out of fear of failing, tends to play it safe. Can Zverev be more contemplative than he already is? Certainly.
This Aliassime is different... and this Zverev remains the same
There was an almost break in the second set right at the beginning, a typical moment where the wind keeps blowing strong from the same side, but with a significant reward if you manage to weather the storm. Somehow, Alexander managed to avoid an even bigger tragedy and not fall completely behind on the scoreboard. With the score tied at 2-2, both played freely, at least until that moment where the heat intensifies again. A 4-3 with 0-30 in favor of Aliassime led to a déjà vu very similar to that of the first set, but Zverev brought out his shield to protect himself once more. The scene repeated at 6-5 and 15-30. But no, the German did not bow down here either.

As they reached the tiebreak and considering the percentage each had, Félix looked mischievous. It's true that he could have closed it much earlier, although he never really faced a break point, but he surely would have welcomed being in this situation. The pass to the semifinals of the ATP Finals was at stake, possibly one of the biggest stages he has ever set foot on in his career, so don't doubt that it also brought some extra nerves. On the other side of the net, Zverev relaxed, but rest assured it won't happen to him again this season. Victory for the Canadian (6-4, 7-6), deserved in every aspect. Alexander finishes the season with more doubts than certainties, while the one from Montreal awaits a meeting with the best player on the planet tomorrow. Let's see what he is capable of.
Cette actualité est une traduction automatique. Vous pouvez lire la nouvelle originale Un gran Aliassime pesca entre las dudas del Zverev de siempre

