Carlos Alcaraz beat Daniil Medvedev to set up a semi-final showdown with Novak Djokovic at the ATP Finals.
There had been a very real danger that Djokovic, looking to win the title for a record-breaking seventh time, would not make it out of his group, with the world number one edging through in second spot as a result of Jannik Sinner's win over Holger Rune.
Alcaraz therefore went into his final group match against Medvedev, who had already booked his place in the last-four, knowing victory would see him top the standings and meet Djokovic in Turin.
The Spaniard did just that, easing to a 6-4 6-4 victory over Medvedev to ensure the top four seeds all progressed out of the groups. Jannik Sinner, the only remaining unbeaten player, will take on Medvedev on home soil, with a blockbuster showdown between Alcaraz and Djokovic in the other semi-finals.
It has been an impressive response from Alcaraz to losing his opening match in Turin at the start of the week. He was beaten by Alexander Zverev, making it three defeats on the bounce as his season threatened to end in tame fashion, but he held his nerve against Medvedev to win in straight sets.
Charly is COOKING 🔥@carlosalcaraz defeats Medvedev 6-4 6-4 to finish top of the Red Group on his #NittoATPFinals debut! pic.twitter.com/n13E7rezRN
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 17, 2023
"The most important thing that I did today is to stay strong mentally," he told Amazon Prime Video.
"There were a few games with my serve that I was struggling a little bit, his return game is amazing and he puts so much pressure on you. I think to stay calm, to stay strong mentally in those moments was the key."
Alcaraz and Djokovic have played each other three times this year. Djokovic won when they met in the semi-finals of the French Open, as Alcaraz suffered with cramp, but the Spaniard got his revenge in the summer as he won a remarkable Wimbledon final.
It was Djokovic who came out on top in the most recent match though, edging a marathon final at the Cincinnati Open, and Alcaraz is relishing the opportunity to get another shot at the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
"It's one of the most difficult challenges that I'm going to face, facing Novak in this tournament that he has won six times," said Alcaraz.
"Obviously Novak is Novak, he's the best player in the world right now. I'm going to put my best tennis (out there) and I'm going to enjoy it. I'm excited."
