Alexander Zverev Battles Auger-Aliassime in Season-Ending Championships Clash
Preamble
The inherent challenges of tournament pool play typically lead to by this stage of the ATP World Tour Finals we’re often left scratching our heads, hastily looking for a calculator and attempting to calculate the complex qualification scenarios. Yet this evening's contest between Alexander Zverev and Auger-Aliassime, mercifully, is straightforward. It’s a straight shootout: the successful player sets up a final four matchup against Alcaraz at this championship finale; the unsuccessful competitor goes home.
Zverev is the favourite for this: the world No 3 is the more accomplished player, has claimed the title at this event previously on two instances and is ahead in their direct encounters six matches to three, winning both the games they've played on an enclosed hard court.
However … this particular court on which Auger-Aliassime has claimed the bulk of his trophies, he is full of confidence after his compelling comeback against Ben Shelton on Wednesday and he defeated Zverev in the US Open third round in August. Additionally, conditions are faster in the host city than at Flushing Meadows, which is even more beneficial in AA’s benefit.
If the German player is reserved, similar to his performance against Sinner, and Felix aggressively challenges the European player with his stinging serves and bold strategy, it might very well be the 25-year-old Canadian – the former prodigy who was earlier slated ahead of Alcaraz and Sinner to replace the tennis icons – who earns the questionable privilege of playing against the global leader on Saturday.
Play begins: at about 8.30pm local time, 7:30 PM in the UK.
