ATP Finals hopefuls Fritz, Hurkacz, Ruud keep pace; Sinner avenges Shelton loss in Vienna

The race to the Nitto ATP Finals is heating up by the day.

On Wednesday, several players hoping to reach the prestigious year-end event in Turin posted victories.

If the season ended today, Taylor Fritz would be the odd man out at No. 9 in the race standings. The top-ranked American battled past Max Purcell, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (4), to win his opener at the Swiss Indoors Basel. The No. 3 seed notably staved off two set points in the first-set tiebreaker.

The two competitors directly behind Fritz also moved forward at the Swiss tour stop. Hubert Hurkacz leapfrogged Casper Ruud by virtue of reaching the quarterfinals with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Jan-Lennard Struff. He awaits the winner of Alex de Minaur, currently in 13th, and Tallon Griekspoor.

Ruud can reclaim the 10th position from Hurkacz if he defeats Dominic Stricker on Thursday. The No. 2 seed eliminated this past Sunday’s Antwerp champion Alexander Bublik, 7-6 (5), 6-2, to keep pace with his peers.

In Vienna, fifth seed Alexander Zverev booked his place in the final eight with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Cameron Norrie. The German is presently in line to qualify at No. 7 on the leaderboard and can strengthen his case ahead of next week's Rolex Paris Masters.

Top seed Daniil Medvedev opened his title defense by dispatching Arthur Fils, 6-4, 6-2. Medvedev dropped a total of five points on serve in the 76-minute contest as he looks to successfully retain a tour-level trophy for the first time in his career.

Second seed Jannik Sinner avenged his Shanghai defeat to Ben Shelton, who arrived on the back of celebrating his maiden ATP title in Tokyo. The Italian prevailed, 7-6 (2), 7-5, saving all four break points he faced. Like Medvedev, Sinner has already secured his place at November's eight-man tournament.

Fresh off his Stockholm triumph, Gael Monfils lined up a second-round clash with Frances Tiafoe. The Frenchman defeated Daniel Altmaier, 6-4, 6-4.

Andrey Rublev, the 2020 Vienna title holder, can lock up the fifth Turin ticket if he gets past Matteo Arnaldi Thursday.