Alexander Zverev Faces Auger-Aliassime in Season-Ending Championships Clash
Introduction
The occupational hazards of tournament pool play mean by this stage of the ATP World Tour Finals we’re often left scratching our heads, scrambling about for a mathematical tool and striving to determine the mind-boggling permutations of qualification. Yet today's game between Alexander Zverev and Auger-Aliassime, mercifully, is easy. It’s a straight shootout: the victor sets up a semifinal battle against Carlos Alcaraz at this season-ending event; the defeated player heads out.
Zverev is the predicted winner for this: the third-ranked player is the player with greater achievements, has previously won at this event on two prior occasions and leads their head-to-head six matches to three, securing victories in both their past encounters on an indoor hard court.
However … this particular court on which Felix has secured most of his championships, he is in great form after his compelling comeback against Ben Shelton on Wednesday and he took out the German in the US Open third round in late summer. Plus, the playing speed is higher in Turin than at the US Open venue, which provides an additional advantage in the Canadian's favor.
If Zverev holds back, similar to his performance against Sinner, and the Canadian presses the European player with his effective service game and bold strategy, it might very well be the young Canadian – the former prodigy who was previously positioned before Alcaraz and Sinner to succeed the Big Three – who secures the dubious honour of competing with the world No 1 on Saturday.
Play begins: at about 8.30pm local time, 7.30pm GMT.
