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Alex de Minaur's hopes of advancing to the ATP Finals last four are dangling by a slender margin after a heartbreaking three-set loss to Lorenzo Musetti.

Crushing Defeat in Turin

The seventh-ranked player succumbed 7-5 3-6 7-5 after being unable to close out the match, allowing the Italian to remain in the event and now leaving the Australian needing to convincingly beat Taylor Fritz in his third and final group match to qualify for the semi-finals.

Psychological Challenges Threaten Career

But facing Fritz in 48 hours is the least of de Minaur's pressing worries as the Sydneysider concedes he must address the mental demons that risk undermining his career.

A unsuccessful competitor of all six of his grand slam quarter-final appearances, the 26-year-old was couldn't hide his anguish after experiencing yet another crucial opportunity slipping away with his finals destiny in his own hands.

"I don't know how many times I can handle 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 can't keep happening."

Career Crossroads

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

Describing his emotions as "quite dark", de Minaur lamented a succession of final set collapses in 2025 and said he must discover methods to win the close matches.

Recent Disappointments

The top-ranked Australian's run of devastating defeats include:

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

"I continue investing everything into these matches," de Minaur commented. "When the outcome isn't positive, it's hard to keep persevering."

Immediate Solution Needed

"It's something that if it isn't resolved, it's going to eat me alive. I need to get it sorted quickly rather than delayed."

Forthcoming Test

De Minaur and Fritz are 5-5 in past meetings, though the sixth-ranked American won their meeting in this showpiece event last year.

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

Tournament Implications

The world No 2's victory, having already defeated de Minaur, put Alcaraz a single victory away of securing the year-end top ranking from Jannik Sinner.

Even if he loses to Musetti in his last round-robin contest, Alcaraz will regain the world No 1 ranking except if Sinner, who defeated Auger-Aliassime in his first match on Monday, goes undefeated to defend his ATP Finals title.

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