:focal(108x48:110x46)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2026/11/13/image-2c9435ed-c2d4-4e23-95ab-812c605417aa-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev played an intensive practice match featuring a 34-point second-set tiebreak ahead of the ATP Finals, Eurosport reported.
The practice session offered a clear look at where both players stand as the season-ending tournament approaches in Turin. Alcaraz and Zverev tested their serves, groundstrokes, and net play during the lengthy tiebreak sequences.
“Den entscheidenden Punkt zum 18:16 sicherte sich der siebenmalige Grand-Slam-Sieger schließlich am Netz und beendete damit die unterhaltsame Trainingseinheit,” Eurosport reported of Alcaraz closing out the session.
Alcaraz showed early resilience in the opening tiebreak of the practice match. The 23-year-old erased a 2:6 deficit by winning six consecutive points to take the set, according to Eurosport Deutschland.
The second tiebreak extended to 34 total points. Alcaraz built a 5:2 lead before Zverev mounted a comeback, pushing the score back and forth through heavy hitting and baseline exchanges.
In the final sequence, Alcaraz used a drop shot and a lob to carve out a 16:15 advantage. He then sealed the 18:16 win at the net.
Zverev enters the tournament seeking his third title at the season finale, having won the event twice previously. He begins group play in the John-McEnroe-Group against Ben Shelton, Arthur Fils, and Rafael Jódar.
The German player faces Jódar on Sunday at 14:00 local time in a scheduled live ticker match. Zverev and his opponents make up a competitive field in the round-robin stage.
Alcaraz lands in the Ivan-Lendl-Group alongside Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe. The Spanier pursues his first career title at the ATP Finals.
The ATP Finals run through the upcoming week in Turin, Italy. Both players use the opening round-robin matches to secure advancement into the knockout rounds of the season finale.
Zverev meets Rafael Jódar on Sunday at 14:00.
Keep reading
