By Tony Fairbairn
- Alexander Zverev [2] v Carlos Alcaraz [3]
- Casper Ruud [6] v Andrey Rublev [8]
TURIN, ITALY – Carlos Alcaraz’s semi-final hopes take on a red-hot Alexander Zverev as all four players can still qualify for the weekend at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.
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Alexander Zverev [2] v Carlos Alcaraz [3] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Alexander Zverev [2] v Carlos Alcaraz [3] | H2H: Tied at 5-5 |
| Nitto ATP Finals 2024 | Turin, Italy |
| Indoor Hard | Prize Money: $396,500 |
| Second on Center Court (Not before 13:00 GMT) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Day six of the Nitto ATP Finals starts with a huge group stage clash as second seed Alexander Zverev aims to maintain his 100% record at this year’s tournament when he takes on Carlos Alcaraz in a Roland Garros final rematch.
World number two Zverev has been in incredible form over the last few weeks and a win over Ruud in a high-quality match only backed up that claim. The German is a handful of games away from reaching the last eight and Zverev will be hoping he can continue his rich vain of form as he targets a third Nitto ATP Finals title. The serve and forehand have been key shots so far in Turin and they will play a big part in his attempt to beat a familiar foe.
That’s because Zverev will face Alcaraz in the final group stage match with the Spaniard’s semi-final hopes still intact. Despite illness concerns, Alcaraz won a tight straight sets match with Rublev to get on the board at this year’s Nitto ATP Finals. The world number three would love nothing more than to reward his incredible season with a place in the last four and Turin. Now Alcaraz will aim to repeat the result in the Roland Garros final as he will use the backhand to try to throw Zverev off of his game.
Both players have been playing with authority on serve and will need to do the same in order to dominate exchanges from the baseline. Approaches to the net will be the key to Zverev while Alcaraz will use his variety to try and mix up the rallies. This will be a tight match but Zverev may just have too much consistent quality and intensity for an under-par Alcaraz.
Prediction: Zverev in three sets.
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Casper Ruud [6] v Andrey Rublev [8] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Casper Ruud [6] v Andrey Rublev [8] | H2H: Rublev leads 5-2 |
| Nitto ATP Finals 2024 | Turin, Italy |
| Indoor Hard | Prize Money: $396,500 |
| Fourth on Center Court (Not before 19:30 GMT) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Closing out the group stage will be Casper Ruud who will aim to book his place in the final four when he takes on Andrey Rublev, who has lost both of his matches so far this week in Turin.
Having entered Turin low on confidence, Ruud has now found his groove and is one win away from the last four. After beating Alcaraz in the opening match, the Norwegian produced a stunning performance in a valiant straight sets defeat to Zverev. The world number six’s forehand has done some massive damage already in Turin and if Ruud continues to return with authority then he will be a massive threat to the world’s best players heading into the weekend.
Standing in Ruud’s way is Rublev, who produced a resilient display against Alcaraz but ultimately lost an epic second set tiebreak. The eighth seed has had a rollercoaster season with his emotional stability being severely questioned. However what cannot be questioned is his talent, potential and determination as he will hope that he can end the season on a high against a player who he has had a lot of success against.
Ruud will dominate on the forehand side but will need to use pace and depth in order to neutralize Rublev from the baseline. Meanwhile Rublev will hope to be efficient on serve and use the backhand to create space on the court to hit winners into. This will be a competitive match with both players aiming for a positive performance and Ruud’s recent performances give him a slight psychological edge in this contest.
Prediction: Ruud in three sets.
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