Felix Auger-Aliassime will face Taylor Fritz in his final group match for a place in the final four at the ATP Finals after cruising to victory over Rafael Nadal, who sits bottom of the group with one game to play.
Tuesday 15 November 2022 19:37, UK
Felix Auger-Aliassime left Rafa Nadal's title hopes at the ATP Finals in tatters as he beat the struggling Spaniard 6-3 6-4 in round-robin action at Turin's Pala Alpitour Stadium on Tuesday.
Nadal needs to win the year-end title for the first time in his illustrious career to have a chance of ending the season as world No 1, but he faded badly after an encouraging start.
The 35-year-old was beaten by American Taylor Fritz in his opener on Sunday and is bottom of the group with one match remaining against Norway's Casper Ruud.
Nadal, the record 22-times Grand Slam champion, has now lost four successive ATP Tour matches for the first time since 2009.
Auger-Aliassime, now coached by Nadal's uncle and long-time mentor Toni who sat in his box, will face Fritz in his final group match with a chance of making the last four.
Nadal held the upper hand at times in the first set and twice threatened to break the serve of his Canadian opponent who was beaten by Ruud on his tournament debut on Sunday.
Serving at 3-4 Nadal led 40-0 but a couple of double faults and baseline errors allowed Auger-Aliassime to break.
Auger-Aliassime, who has won four titles this season, sealed the first set with a solid hold and moved a break ahead early in the second.
Nadal showed flashes of brilliance but could make no impression as he slumped to a defeat. He still has a chance, albeit slim, to reach semi-finals if he beats Casper Ruud in straight sets and the other results go in his favour.
The former world number one still has a slim chance of reaching the semi-finals but has to beat Casper Ruud in straight sets and rely on other results to go his way.
But Nadal admitted that he has been well below his best so far.
"When you are facing all the circumstances that I faced the last six months, to be here is positive," said Nadal, who has struggled with injury and recently became a father for the first time.
"To experience what's going on is not a big surprise. That does not mean that I am not sad about the results. It's something that can happen.
"I just accept that tomorrow I start my 2023 season. That's all. The only thing that I can do is keep working, keep doing the things that I need to do to give myself a chance to start with real chances in 2023.
"I don't think I forget how to play tennis, how to be strong enough mentally. I just need to recover all these positive feelings and all this confidence and all this strong mentality that I need to be at the level that I want to be."
