Alcaraz Falls to Zverev, Medvedev Tops Rublev at ATP Finals 

Alexander Zverev of Germany reacts after winning his Red Group singles match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the Nitto ATP Finals tennis tournament in Turin, Italy, 13 November 2023. (EPA)
Alexander Zverev of Germany reacts after winning his Red Group singles match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the Nitto ATP Finals tennis tournament in Turin, Italy, 13 November 2023. (EPA)
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Alcaraz Falls to Zverev, Medvedev Tops Rublev at ATP Finals 

Alexander Zverev of Germany reacts after winning his Red Group singles match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the Nitto ATP Finals tennis tournament in Turin, Italy, 13 November 2023. (EPA)
Alexander Zverev of Germany reacts after winning his Red Group singles match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the Nitto ATP Finals tennis tournament in Turin, Italy, 13 November 2023. (EPA)

A sluggish Carlos Alcaraz was beaten 6-7(3) 6-3 6-4 by Alexander Zverev on his debut at the ATP Finals on Monday to continue his end-of-year slump with a third straight defeat.

The 20-year-old world number two, who missed last year's edition of the season-ending championship due to injury, put the blame for his loss squarely on the fast indoor surface at the cavernous Pala Alpitour in Turin.

"I don't know why they put this surface at the end of the year," the Spaniard said in his post-match news conference.

"All the tournaments we have played on hard court are so, so, slow and then we come here to the Masters (Cup) and they put this court so, so fast.

"I don't understand why they've set the speed so high for this tournament when we have never played on a surface like this all year."

Alcaraz is looking to become the youngest ATP Finals champion since Pete Sampras in 1991 and, despite the loss, still has a chance to advance to the knockout stages from the round-robin Red Group.

"This tournament is different for many things, and one of them is that it allows you to go through to the semi-finals despite losing the first match," Alcaraz posted on Instagram.

The Spaniard's next match is on Wednesday against Andrey Rublev, who went down 6-4 6-2 to Daniil Medvedev in his Red Group opener on Monday.

The Russian duo were expected to duke it out in another epic showdown after meeting in the final of the Dubai Open and the quarter-finals of the US Open earlier this year.

Fifth ranked Rublev, however, fell apart after losing the first set and failed to put up much resistance as Medvedev eased to a 7-2 career record in matches against his compatriot.

"I felt really good and was able to get the upper hand fast," Medvedev said.

"I like to play aggressive on my serve, but Rublev plays in such a style that he doesn't give me any other option because I don't have the power of Alcaraz or (Stefanos) Tsitsipas on my forehand."

The action continues on Tuesday with Tsitsipas taking on Holger Rune, and world number one Novak Djokovic facing Jannik Sinner.



Sabalenka in No Mood to Relax after Zheng’s Early Exit

This hand out picture released by the Tennis Australia on January 15, 2025 shows Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka speaks at a press conference after her women's singles match against Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. (Vince Caligiuri/Tennis Australia / AFP)
This hand out picture released by the Tennis Australia on January 15, 2025 shows Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka speaks at a press conference after her women's singles match against Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. (Vince Caligiuri/Tennis Australia / AFP)
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Sabalenka in No Mood to Relax after Zheng’s Early Exit

This hand out picture released by the Tennis Australia on January 15, 2025 shows Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka speaks at a press conference after her women's singles match against Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. (Vince Caligiuri/Tennis Australia / AFP)
This hand out picture released by the Tennis Australia on January 15, 2025 shows Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka speaks at a press conference after her women's singles match against Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. (Vince Caligiuri/Tennis Australia / AFP)

Aryna Sabalenka said early exits by big names at the Australian Open would not make her title defense any easier after the top seed saw one of her main title rivals go out in the second round with Zheng Qinwen's defeat by world number 97 Laura Siegemund.

Sabalenka sealed a battling 6-3 7-5 victory over Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on Wednesday shortly before fifth seed Zheng, who lost to the Belarusian in last year's final, crashed out 7-6(3) 6-3.

Zheng's exit leaves Sabalenka with one less seed to worry about but the three-times Grand Slam champion said it made little difference in such a competitive field.

"Listen, it's a slam, you know? Not everyone can handle these emotions," Sabalenka told reporters.

"As you can see, there are so many players who are playing really well in these conditions. It's not like if they're gone, it's easy for me. No, it's not.

"I have to go there, I have to compete, I have to fight. Today's match proved that. Girls can go there and just play without any fear, without anything to lose.

"They can put you in really uncomfortable positions."

Sabalenka was feeling the pressure in her own match and trailed 5-2 at one point in the second set against Bouzas Maneiro, who stunned Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the opening round at the All England Club last year.

"I definitely didn't want a third set. Who wants it? But at that moment I didn't really want to get bothered by that and let go of the set," said Sabalenka, who is bidding to become the first woman to win three successive titles at Melbourne Park since Martina Hingis from 1997-99.

"I told myself, 'OK, let's go play a third' and I somehow mentally prepared myself for that, tried to find my serve to not to give her too many chances.

"Then somehow it seemed to me that she got tense when it got to 5-3 and I felt there was an opportunity. I'm very glad that I managed to finish in two sets.

"I didn't really want to get too physically exhausted in the second round."

Up next for Sabalenka is Dane Clara Tauson, who won the Auckland title in the build-up to the Australian Open after Naomi Osaka retired injured.