Carlos Alcaraz looks strong at Nitto ATP Finals as Spanish top seed kicks off title bid with win over Alex de Minaur in Turin

Carlos Alcaraz kicked off his bid for a maiden ATP Tour finals title with a straight-sets win over Alex de Minaur in a hard-fought round-robin opener in Turin.

The top seed maintained his flawless record against De Minaur as he moved 5-0 up in the head-to-head courtesy of a 7-6 6-2 victory in one hour and 40 minutes.

De Minaur was hoping to become the first Australian to win a singles match at this event since Lleyton Hewitt back in 2004, and showed tremendous hustle to fight back from 4-1 and 0-40 down and force a tie-break.

Alcaraz was clearly unsettled but found another gear in the breaker to reel off four points in a row from 3-5 down and claim a one-hour and two-minute opener.  

The second set kicked off with a break apiece before Alcaraz found his groove with a montage of spellbinding winners to race through four games in a row and tally 32 overall.

The six-time major winner then served out on a second match point to win his opening clash in a round-robin at the ATP Finals for the first time, and remain firmly in the hunt for the year-end No. 1 spot.

In-keeping with the topsy-turvy nature of the match, Alcaraz doesn’t have it all his own way trying to serve it out, double faulting to gift Demon an opening at 15-30.

A clutch second serve pulls him to Pulp (30-30) before a timely unreturnable first delivery earns match point.

The Spaniard can’t make it count as the Aussie forces an error with a rocket of a return but earns a second opportunity with a bullet forehand down the line.

This time he converts via a rasping crosscourt backhand and he's off to a flyer in Turin.

Demon stops the rot and avoids the breadstick with a hold to 15.

Alcaraz will now serve for the match.

De Minaur simply refuses to go down without a fight.

The Aussie demonstrates his lightning court coverage and stretches into a volley to tee up a break point.

Alcaraz hits back with a clutch serve and then produces astonishing defence to turn around an epic rally and flash away a volley.

Another hefty serve seals a super hold and he is now just one game away from an opening win.

That is way too good.

Alcaraz unleashes a brilliant backhand down the line from deep to his left corner to tee up two more break points.

This time there’s no resistance from the other side of the net as the Spaniard bullets an even better forehand winner to seal the insurance break with aplomb.

This time there’s no mistake.

Alcaraz powers through a clean hold and shakes his fist in determination towards his team.

The 22-year-old has never won his opening match at the ATP Finals (0-2) but he is looking very likely to change that from here.

De Minaur opens with a big crosscourt forehand but Alcaraz suddenly hits God-mode and becomes unplayable.

A punched volley and a barrage of big forehands ends with the Spaniard zapping one down the line to snare the break lead once more.

That sums up Demon right there.

Many players might fold having suffered the disappointment of the breaker and that early blow in the second, but he comes roaring back, taking advantage of another strange lull from Alcaraz to break to 15 on his second of his three opportunities.

Alcaraz rides the euphoria of snatching that breaker into the opening game of Set 2, continually working over the Aussie and breaking to love with a sizzling backhand winner down the line.

Once again it’s Demon who carves out a lead, this time moving 5-3 up when Carlitos drills just long.

The top seed retorts with a clutch serve and quite possibly the point of the breaker as he finally breeches the Aussie’s defence with a lethal smash.

The seventh seed then blinks for the first time in a while to cough up set point and Alcaraz’s big forehand down the line rushes the error.

It’s the six-time major winner who comes out on top in a rollercoaster one hour and two minute opener as he seals the breaker 7-5.

It’s Demon who continues to carry the momentum early in the breaker as he moves 3-1 up via the mini break.

Alcaraz stays in touch with a routine smash and then produces a delicious dropper to level heading into the change of ends.

De Minaur continues to find the first serve and quality strikes off the plus-one forehand and Alcaraz has no answer as the Aussie charges into a breaker.

Alcaraz guarantees himself a spot in a breaker as he wins a lovely cat and mouse exchange at the net with a volley down the line to polish off a hold to 15 with real panache.

‘Vamos’ – barks Alcaraz as a deep probing strike to Demon’s right wing that rushes a forehand on the run long.

De Minaur doesn’t seem bothered as he conjures up a timely first serve to edge in front at 40-30 before Alcaraz helps him over the line with a drops-hot fail into the net.

Alcaraz holds his hands up in recognition of some huge fortune as a shaky forehand clips the tape and jumps over for a winner.

Worse still from Demon’s perspective is that it comes on game point with him pushing to reach deuce after again making life tough for the Spaniard at Pulp (30-30).

De Minaur lands a succession of first serves to storm 40-0 up but is then relieved to see Alcaraz flash a forehand just long to avoid a collapse and consolidate with a hold to 30.

Demon looks to make the most of his clutch recovery in that previous game and scraps his way to a break point when his lightning defence beyond his baseline forces Alcaraz to play one more forehand that he inexplicably lashes long.

It’s déjà vu on the key point that follows, but this time Alcaraz back pedals brilliantly to crash away a smash and make deuce.

De Minaur comes again as he showcases his rapid wheels to track down a short-angled slice from the top seed and jab a forehand winner down the line.

Alcaraz looks unsettled and overcooks a forehand into the net on the second BP and from the Spaniard looking all-set to bag an insurance break just moments ago, we are suddenly back on serve!

Alcaraz punishes a tame volley from the Aussie with a drilled crosscourt backhand and it begins to unravel for Demon.

Indeed, an injection of pace on another crosscourt backhand from the Spaniard tees up three more break points.

The seventh seed responds magnificently, battling his way to deuce with a well-placed forehand to the corner that even Alcaraz can’t quite reach.

Another deep forehand rushes an error on the stretch from the top seed and Alex completes an outstanding recovery with a clutch serve.

De Minaur tries to respond with a wonderful inside-in forehand back in-behind the Spaniard to force the error.

Alcaraz roars back with a stonking crosscourt forehand winner and an ace to consolidate with a game to 30.

Demon has done plenty of probing early doors but it’s Alcaraz who tees up the first break opportunities of the contest with a super backhand down the line and a sumptuous dropper.

The six-time major winner only needs one of three chances as he scorches another beauty of a backhand down the line to secure the break in style.