Alexander Zverev Takes On Felix Auger-Aliassime in ATP Finals Clash
Overview
The inherent challenges of round-robin tennis mean by this stage of the season-ending championships we’re often left confused, scrambling about for a calculator and striving to determine the brain-busting qualification scenarios. However today's game between Alexander Zverev and Auger-Aliassime, fortunately, is easy. This is a winner-takes-all affair: the winner sets up a final four matchup against Carlos Alcaraz at this year-end tournament; the unsuccessful competitor is eliminated.
Zverev is the favourite for this: the world No 3 is the more experienced competitor, has previously won at this competition twice before and leads their head-to-head 6-3, having won both the games they've played on an covered hard surface.
Yet … this type of playing field on which Auger-Aliassime has claimed most of his championships, he is in great form after his compelling comeback against Ben Shelton on midweek and he eliminated the German in the US Open third round in August. Plus, the playing speed is higher in the host city than at the US Open venue, which is even more beneficial in the Canadian's favour.
Should Zverev be cautious, similar to his performance against the Italian, and the Canadian presses the German with his stinging serves and confident shots, it might very well be the young Canadian – the former prodigy who was previously positioned before Alcaraz and Sinner to replace the tennis icons – who secures the questionable privilege of facing the top-ranked player the next day.
The match starts: at about 8.30pm local time, 19:30 Greenwich Mean Time.
