Alexander Zverev Takes On Felix Auger-Aliassime in ATP World Tour Finals Match
Preamble
The typical complications of group stage tennis typically lead to by this stage of the season-ending championships viewers are commonly scratching our heads, hastily looking for a computing device and attempting to calculate the brain-busting permutations of qualification. However tonight’s match between Alexander Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime, mercifully, is easy. It's a direct elimination: the victor sets up a semifinal battle against Alcaraz at this championship finale; the defeated player goes home.
The German is the frontrunner for this: the elite athlete is the more experienced competitor, has claimed the title at this competition on two prior occasions and leads their head-to-head 6-3, having won both their previous matches on an enclosed hard court.
But … this is the surface on which Auger-Aliassime has claimed the bulk of his trophies, he is full of confidence after his compelling comeback against Ben Shelton on recently and he took out the German in the US Championships early stage in late summer. Additionally, the playing speed is higher in Turin than at the US Open venue, which is even more beneficial in Auger-Aliassime's benefit.
If Zverev holds back, similar to his performance against Sinner, and Auger-Aliassime takes it to the European player with his powerful serves and confident shots, there is a strong chance the young Canadian – the former prodigy who was previously positioned ahead of Alcaraz and Sinner to take over from the legendary trio – who obtains the uncertain distinction of facing the world No 1 on Saturday.
The match starts: at around 20:30 in the host city, 7:30 PM in the UK.
