TURIN, Italy — Top-ranked Jannik Sinner became the first player to advance to the semifinals at the ATP Finals on Thursday. Sinner was assured of a spot in the last four after U.S. Open finalist Taylor Fritz beat Alex de Minaur 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in their group.

Recap, highlights, and quotes from Taylor Fritz's win over Alex de Minaur in the Group Stage of the ATP Finals.

In his last match on September 4, 2024, de Minaur was defeated 3-6, 5-7, 2-6 versus Jack Draper in the quarterfinals of the US Open. Over the last two years, Fritz and de Minaur met in the Round of 16 at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers on August 10, 2023. de Minaur won 7-6, 4-6, 6-1.

Taylor Fritz squares off against Alex de Minaur on Thursday afternoon aware that only a win will do if he wishes to remain in the hunt for a semi-final spot at the ATP Tour Finals. Meanwhile, De Minaur concludes his Ilie Nastase Group campaign looking to end on a high note having lost two successive matches in straight sets.

The round-robin stages of the ATP Tour Finals in Turin, Italy are heading into their final matches. After eight matches, all of them straight-sets wins, none of the eight singles players in the tournament have qualified,

Still plenty to play for in group Ilie Nastase, although the scenarios where Jannik Sinner doesn’t make the semifinals or Alex de Minaur does are mostly theoretical.

Alex de Minaur has been thrashed in his first two ATP Finals matches - but there is still a slim chance he can reach the semi-finals in Turin.