Carlos Alcaraz hits back to defeat Taylor Fritz and stay perfect at this year's tournament after an epic Nitto ATP Finals round-robin clash in Turin

"It was a really tiring match. I was running more than him. I was struggling more than him," said Carlos Alcaraz in his on-court interview.

"I was really relieved after everything I went through during the match. I didn't feel the ball as well as the first round."

And on potentially keeping the world No. 1 spot, he said: "I will try not to think about it. It's going to be a really big match for me. I will try to not let the nerves play a part."

Carlos Alcaraz moved within touching distance of the Nitto ATP Finals semi-finals with a resilient victory against an inspired Taylor Fritz.

The Spaniard posted a 6-7 7-5 6-3 win over the American to extend his lead in the head-to-head to 5-1 after an absorbing two hours and 48 minutes on court in Turin.

It means the six-time Grand Slam champion will progress from the round-robin with a match to spare if the result goes his way in this evening’s clash between Lorenzo Musetti and Alex de Minaur.

Alcaraz can also clinch the year-end No.1 spot for the second time in his career if he wins his final Jimmy Connors Group encounter with Musetti on Thursday.

A marathon start to the match saw both players save multiple break points before Fritz immediately pegged Alcaraz back after the Spaniard broke for a 2-1 lead.

The American failed to convert two big chances to take charge at 4-4 but pulled clear to clinch an epic one hour and 10-minute set after romping through the tie-break by a 7-2 scoreline.

Fritz had two break points in a near 15-minute fifth game of the second set but could not make it count and he was undone at the death as a rasping crosscourt forehand saw Alcaraz force the decider.

The Spaniard was suddenly resurgent and broke to lead 4-2 when Fritz threw in his worst service game of the match.

Alcaraz did not blink from there and served it out on his fourth match point to become the second man born in the 2000s to claim 50 Top 10 wins in his career (after Jannik Sinner 55).

GAME, SET AND MATCH! - ALCARAZ 6-7 7-5 6-3 FRITZ

Carlos Alcaraz stay perfect in Turin!

The Spaniard serves out to love on his fourth match point to complete a hard-fought recovery after Fritz had been the better player for a good set and three quarters.

Fritz had looked the fresher of the two late in the second set but he appears forlorn and fatigued now as he coughs up two match points.

Alcaraz flashes a forehand into the net on the first and then drills a return long on the second, but earns a third chance with a backhand overhead drop volley from deuce.  

Taylor suddenly digs in to deny him and then leans low to guide away the plus-one win, before resisting well in a rally to lure the backhand long and pose the serve-out question.

Alcaraz consolidates with a hold to 30 and is now one game away from making it two wins from two in Jimmy Connors Group.

That is a shocker from Fritz and it may cost him the match.

The American sandwiches a double fault between unforced errors he fires long off both flanks to cough up triple break point.

The sixth seed saves one with a smash but is undone on the second as Alcaraz’s deep, probing backhand proves too good.

Alcaraz delights the crowd with an athletic leap into the air to despatch an angled backhand smash.

The Spaniard then showcases more of his variety with a disguised forehand slice that rushes Fritz into an error on the stretch.

It’s all going swimmingly but a careless volley and a forehand long open the door slightly ajar at 40-30 and his relief is clear when Fritz drills a backhand into the net.

Alcaraz looks to turn the screw with another sumptuous dropper to make Pulp (30-30) but then blinks in a forehand-to-forehand exchange.

The Spaniard responds with a raking crosscourt backhand from the forecourt to reach deuce but Fritz booms a forehand winner down the line off a clever, slice serve to keep him at bay.

The then American unloads on a heavy forehand again to lure the block wide and it’s all square early in the third.

Alcaraz continues to look like a completely different proposition now as he rushes through a game to 15 to keep his nose in front early in this decider.

Fritz slams down a couple of aces to hold to 15 as he shrugs off an incredible backhand winner down the line on the run from the resurgent Spaniard.

Alcaraz has all of the momentum right now and throws in a bewitching dropper en route to a clean hold to open the third.

It’s a shaky service game from Fritz – and it cost him!

The American is unfortunate with a net cord but leaks errors to cough up three set points.

It leaves him too much to do and Alcaraz converts on the second of them with a rasping, low crosscourt forehand that Taylor can’t get back.

Too good.

Alcaraz has been second best for long spells in this match but it’s as if he senses something here.

A spectacular point mid-game sees him blast a wonderful forehand down the line. The rally is something to behold until Fritz slips and grins in embarrassment as he watches on from the floor.

Alcaraz makes quick work of it from there with a love hold that guarantees him the minimum of a breaker.

The serve does plenty of heavy lifting for Taylor.

The American rushes forward for a smash and again fires straight at Alcaraz, but is relieved to see the block attempt come to nothing as the sixth seed holds to 15.

Fritz berates himself as he misses a make-able forehand at 0-15.

Alcaraz jumps all over the reprieve, gunning away a pair of forehands to lead 40-15.

Taylor hits back and arrows a backhand down the line to the postage stamp to make deuce.

The American has the next point on his racquet but goes straight back into Alcaraz who blocks away a fortunate winner.

The sixth seed can't believe it and the hold becomes inevitable from there.

Is a decider also on the horizon?

Fritz must hold to stay in the set from here.

Alcaraz thinks it’s his moment as he thunders a massive crosscourt forehand from ‘Down Town’ Turin to earn a break point from deuce.

Fritz retorts with a clutch serve and scrambles through when Carlitos drills an attempt at the wrong-footer into the net via the backhand.

Alcaraz will be delighted with that.

Fritz lobs a whisker long and then slams a pair of forehands way off the island to allow Carlitos to hold to love.

Well, those two games were night and day.

Fritz bulldozes his way through a clean hold in under a minute to put Alcaraz straight back into bat.

Taylor can’t help but vent his frustration as he flashes a forehand just long with the point on his racquet at 15-30.

A fabulous return tees him up for another chance, but he volleys into the net to let Alcaraz off the hook.

The Spaniard floats a short slice into the net to prolong his travails at deuce where that bazooka of a Fritz forehand finally breeches the top seed’s defences and earns him the break point he deserves.

The six-time Grand Slam champion responds by edging the point of the match so far and puts his finger to his ear as he fends it off.

Fritz refuses to go away easily and it’s a real face-off around multiple deuce points with Alcaraz surviving a second break point before finally escaping out of a near 15-minute game on his seventh game point.