Alexander Zverev Faces Auger-Aliassime in Season-Ending Championships Match
Preamble
The typical complications of round-robin tennis often result in at this point of the ATP World Tour Finals fans frequently find themselves puzzled, hastily looking for a computing device and attempting to calculate the brain-busting qualification scenarios. Yet today's game between Alexander Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime, mercifully, is simple. It’s a straight shootout: the winner sets up a semi-final contest against Carlos Alcaraz at this championship finale; the unsuccessful competitor is eliminated.
The German is the frontrunner for this: the world No 3 is the more accomplished player, has previously won at this tournament previously on two instances and is ahead in their direct encounters with six victories against three defeats, having won both their past encounters on an covered hard surface.
However … this particular court on which Auger-Aliassime has claimed the majority of his titles, he is in great form after his compelling comeback against Ben Shelton on recently and he eliminated the German in the US Championships third round in late summer. Furthermore, the playing speed is higher in the host city than at Flushing Meadows, which works even more in AA’s favor.
Should Zverev be cautious, similar to his performance against Sinner, and Auger-Aliassime takes it to the German with his effective service game and confident shots, it could well be the young Canadian – the earlier standout who was earlier slated ahead of Alcaraz and Sinner to take over from the tennis icons – who obtains the uncertain distinction of competing with the world No 1 on Saturday.
Action commences: at about 8.30pm local time, 7.30pm GMT.
