ATP Finals: Rafael Nadal also loses his second group game

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Rafael Nadal losing to Félix Auger-Aliassime

Photo: MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP

Félix Auger-Aliassime has put a heavy damper on Rafaels Nadal's title hopes at the ATP Finals.

He defeated the battered Spaniard in Turin's Pala Alpitour Stadium 6:3 6:4.

Nadal, the record 22-time Grand Slam winner, has lost four straight matches on the ATP Tour for the first time since 2009.

He would need to win the year-end title for the first time in his career to end the season as world number one.

Win against Ruud now mandatory

The 35-year-old was beaten by the American Taylor Fritz in his opening match and is at the end of the group with one match left against the Norwegian Casper Ruud.

Only if you win are there still theoretical chances of progressing.

Ruud plays his second group game against Fritz in the evening (9 p.m.).

Auger-Aliassime, coached by Nadal's uncle and longtime mentor Toni, meets Fritz in his final group game and still has a good chance of reaching the last four.

In the opening set, Nadal temporarily maintained the upper hand, twice threatening to break his opponent's serve, which was slapped by Ruud in his tournament debut.

At 3-4, Nadal led 40-0, but a series of double and baseline errors allowed Auger-Aliassime to break.

Zverev is missing injured

The Canadian, who has already won four titles this season, secured the opener with a solid serve and took an early break lead in the second set.

Although Nadal showed some highlights, he could not make a constant impression and had to admit defeat in two sets.

Defending champion Alexander Zverev is missing at the end of the season of the eight best tennis professionals of the year because of his foot injury.

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