Demon rues missed chances against Alcaraz in Turin: 'They're moments you've got to take'

(Getty/Daniel Kopatsch)

Alex de Minaur has once again been left wondering what could've been after suffering another defeat to Carlos Alcaraz at the Nitto ATP Finals.

The Aussie star took to Torino's Inalpi Arena for the second consecutive year following his debut in 2024, where he was in search of his maiden victory at the tournament.

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At one stage in the opening set, de Minaur was one point away from trailing 1-5, but pulled himself together to force a tiebreak, only for Alcaraz to steer clear and run away with a 7-6(5), 6-2 win.

"I know at times Carlos is going to be unplayable. There's also times that if you can hang in there, you get a couple chances here and there, and you just got to take 'em," de Minaur explained.

"I think that was what the first set was all about. I was 4-1, 0-40 down in the space of moments without really doing too much wrong. I managed to kind of keep my head down, keep fighting, find a way to break through. Then all of a sudden we were in a match.

"5-3 up in the tiebreak... 5-4, two serves... Like, again, they're chances, they're moments that you've got to take against the best players in the world. Today I didn't take that moment, and then the match became a very difficult one."

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His latest defeat to the Spaniard has extended an unwanted 0-5 head-to-head for de Minaur, but the 26-year-old is optimistic that the gap is closing.

"When I look at it, I don't just look at this match; I look at the collection of matches we played. I do feel like I'm quite close to a breakthrough," de Minaur said.

"In terms of today, I think he brought out some of the highest level that he has played against me. The way I kind of look at that is when he's hitting his backhand line at the level that he was today, he's playing with a lot of confidence. Normally, that's the side where I feel more comfortable when rallies are being played. But today he was on."

For Alcaraz, it was about settling into the contest and coming out unscathed.

"I'm just really, really happy with the level that I play today. First match is never easy. After the match, I realise that this one was my first win in the round-robin the first day. I'm really happy about it," he told the media post-match.

"Obviously Alex I think in this surface is really dangerous with his speed, his shots, his style. So just really happy to stay there playing good shots, good points, and getting the win in two sets."

De Minaur will next face Taylor Fritz, whom he lost to in three sets at last year's edition, and Lorenzo Musetti after replacing Novak Djokovic at the last minute.

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