Alexander Zverev Faces Auger-Aliassime in ATP Finals Showdown
Preamble
The occupational hazards of tournament pool play mean during this phase of the season-ending championships we’re often left puzzled, hastily looking for a mathematical tool and striving to determine the complex permutations of qualification. Yet today's game between Alexander Zverev and Auger-Aliassime, thankfully, is easy. It’s a straight shootout: the victor secures a final four contest against Alcaraz at this championship finale; the defeated player is eliminated.
Zverev is the predicted winner for this: the third-ranked player is the more accomplished player, has been the champion at this event previously on two instances and holds the advantage in their personal record six matches to three, winning both the games they've played on an covered hard surface.
But … this is the surface on which Auger-Aliassime has claimed the majority of his titles, he is full of confidence after his compelling comeback against Ben Shelton on Wednesday and he took out Zverev in the US Open early stage in August. Furthermore, the court pace is quicker in Turin than at the US Open venue, which works even more in Auger-Aliassime'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 25-year-old Canadian – the one-time phenom who was previously positioned in front of the Spanish and Italian stars to replace the Big Three – who obtains the dubious honour of playing against the world No 1 tomorrow.
The match starts: at about 8.30pm local time, 7.30pm GMT.
