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Alex de Minaur's hopes of advancing to the ATP Finals last four are hanging by a thread after a gut-wrenching defeat in three sets to Italian opponent Lorenzo Musetti.

Crushing Defeat in Turin

The seventh-ranked player succumbed 7-5 3-6 7-5 after failing to serve out the match, keeping the Italian to remain in the tournament and now forcing the Australian requiring to convincingly beat Taylor Fritz in his last group match to qualify for the semi-finals.

Psychological Challenges Threaten Career

But facing Fritz in two days' time is the smallest of de Minaur's immediate concerns as the Sydneysider concedes he must address the psychological barriers that risk undermining his career.

A loser of all six of his major tournament quarter-final appearances, the twenty-six-year-old was unable to disguise his anguish after experiencing yet another high-stakes near miss with his finals destiny in his own hands.

"I don't know how many times I can deal with a loss like this one," de Minaur stated in Turin. "I must talk to my team and try to sort out these issues because these are issues that cannot continue occurring."

Professional Turning Point

"I mean, if I truly desire to be serious about advancing to the next level in my career, these matches, I must win them. I just must not. It feels like I've been defeated in a lot of them this year. More than anything, it's getting to a point where psychologically it's destroying me."

Characterizing his emotions as "very bleak", de Minaur lamented a succession of third-set slip-ups in 2025 and said he must find a way to win the tight encounters.

Recent Disappointments

The top-ranked Australian's streak of crushing losses include:

• Latest 6-3 4-6 7-6 (7-5) outcome against Alexander Bublik at the Paris Masters
• Closely-contested US Open quarter-final loss to Felix Auger-Aliassime
• Semi-final in Monte Carlo against Musetti
• Wasted two-set lead against Bublik at the French Open
• Defeated in a third-set tiebreaker to Andrey Rublev in the Doha semi-finals

"I keep putting everything into these matches," de Minaur commented. "When the result's not there, it's difficult to keep pushing through."

Immediate Solution Needed

"It's something that if it isn't resolved, it's going to consume me completely. I must get it sorted quickly rather than delayed."

Forthcoming Test

De Minaur and Fritz are tied at five wins each in past meetings, though the American world No 6 emerged victorious in their matchup in this showpiece event last year.

The Australian's chances remain alive after Fritz suffered a 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 6-3 defeat to Carlos Alcaraz that guaranteed the Spaniard would progress to the semi-finals as the winner of the Jimmy Connors group.

Championship Consequences

The second-ranked player's victory, having already defeated de Minaur, put Alcaraz a single victory away of securing the season-ending top ranking from Jannik Sinner.

Regardless if he is defeated by Musetti in his final group match, Alcaraz will reclaim the world No 1 ranking unless Sinner, who defeated Auger-Aliassime in his first match on Monday, goes undefeated to defend his ATP Finals title.

"I will try not to focus on it," commented Alcaraz. "This will represent a really big match for me. I will try not to let the nerves play a negative role in the match. I will think about my goals, about feeling much better than today."