Alcaraz saves two match points against Fritz to reach Paris semis
· BehindLines newsroom
Carlos Alcaraz came back to beat Taylor Fritz in three sets on Friday 6 November in the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters 1000. According to the BBC and Al Jazeera (which carries AFP copy), the 23-year-old Spaniard won 6-7 (10-12), 7-5, 6-3 after saving two match points. It is the first time he has reached the semi-finals of the Paris tournament.
A match that turned in the second set
According to Al Jazeera, Alcaraz first broke Fritz's serve in the fifth game, but the American broke back to love to level at 5-5. In the tie-break both players had set points; Fritz finally won it 12 points to 10.
In the second set, Fritz went a break up. Alcaraz saved a first match point, then held serve with a slice backhand, before fending off the second with a passing shot, according to Al Jazeera. He then erased the deficit and broke his opponent again to force a deciding set. In the last set he moved ahead 3-1 and finished with a powerful forehand on his first match point.
After the match, Alcaraz said, according to Al Jazeera, that it was "one of the most special matches" he had ever played. The BBC reports that he said he tried to stay mentally strong and to entertain the crowd.
Consequences all the way to Turin
The result goes beyond the tournament itself. According to the BBC, Fritz's defeat ends his hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals, scheduled in Turin from 15 to 22 November; at the same time it secures the place of Spain's Rafael Jodar, 20. Ben Shelton, for his part, beat Tommy Paul 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, which qualifies Frances Tiafoe, 28, according to both outlets. Jodar and Tiafoe will make their debuts in this event, which is reserved for the eight best players of the season.
The BBC points out that Jodar has only been a full-time professional since the start of 2026: he won his first tour title in Marrakech in April and reached the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros.
The rest of the tournament
Al Jazeera says Alcaraz will face Norway's Casper Ruud on Saturday; Ruud beat Portugal's Nuno Borges 7-6, 6-4. The other semi-final will pit Shelton against France's Luca Van Assche, who ended the run of Australian Rinky Hijikata, who came through qualifying.