Alcaraz saves two match points to beat Fritz in Paris Masters quarter-final

Carlos AlcarazCarlos AlcarazSpain · Singles saved two match points before beating Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters on Friday. The win carried the Spaniard into the semi-finals and ended Fritz's run in Paris. It also helped another Spanish player, Rafael Jodar, qualify for the ATP Finals.

Alcaraz was a point from defeat twice in the match. He saved both match points and went on to win. The distance between the two players came down to those two points.

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How Alcaraz's win helped Jodar

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The second consequence of the result involved Rafael Jodar, a Spanish player who is now bound for the ATP Finals. His qualification for the season-ending championship was helped by Alcaraz's victory over Fritz, tying the outcome of a quarter-final in Paris to the make-up of the field for the Finals.

Jodar was not on court in Paris and did not win a match to get there. His place was settled by results elsewhere, and the decisive one came in the match involving his compatriot.

That is why the match mattered beyond the draw in Paris. Alcaraz's recovery from two match points kept his own tournament alive and, at the same time, lifted a second Spanish player into the season finale.

What the result does for Alcaraz in Paris

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The win keeps Alcaraz in the draw and takes him into the last four of the Paris Masters. Surviving a match in which he faced two match points is a different test from a clean win, and the way he came through it will shape how his week in the French capital is judged.

Fritz leaves at the quarter-final stage, two points from the semi-finals. The same two points decided who continued in Paris and who did not.

What is not yet known

• The full scoreline, and the point in the match at which the two match points arrived.
• Alcaraz's semi-final opponent, and the rest of the Paris field.
• The standings calculation that took Jodar into the ATP Finals, and the other players who have qualified.
• Whether Alcaraz, Fritz or Jodar have commented on the result.

What happens next

Alcaraz plays a semi-final in Paris, with his opponent still to be confirmed. Jodar's next appearance is set to come at the ATP Finals, where he will be part of the field.

The coming days will fill in what Friday left open: for Alcaraz, whether his week in Paris ends with a title; for Jodar, the shape of a tournament he has reached on the back of results elsewhere.