Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Finals match.
Alexander Zverev faces Félix Auger-Aliassime in a decisive match in the Björn Borg group. The German remains in contention for the semi-finals despite losing to Jannik Sinner, while the Canadian, who mounted a comeback against Ben Shelton, also needs a victory to progress.
Alexander Zverev
Zverev’s season has been solid rather than impressive: a title in Munich, a final at the Australian Open and a semi-final at the US Open — that is the full list of significant achievements across 25 tournaments. At the Finals he defeated Ben Shelton (6:3, 7:6), although only after a tie-break in the second set, and then lost to Jannik Sinner (4:6, 3:6), where the Italian saved all seven break points he faced. Zverev reached the semi-finals at this event last year, but this time he risks falling short. In their head-to-head meetings, he leads Félix Auger-Aliassime 8-4, yet in five of their last seven matches he has dropped at least one set to the Canadian.
Félix Auger-Aliassime
Auger-Aliassime has revived his career with three titles (Adelaide, Brussels, Montpellier), a final in Paris and a 51-25 record this season, including 18-5 indoors. At the Finals he fell to Jannik Sinner (5:7, 1:6), but then produced an excellent turnaround against Ben Shelton (4:6, 7:5, 7:6). Notably, ten of his last fourteen indoor matches have featured at least one tie-break. His serve is exceptionally sharp and brings numerous free points, while from the baseline he plays with high aggression. Across his two group matches he has already struck 18 aces.
Alexander Zverev vs Félix Auger-Aliassime Prediction
Zverev is regarded as the favourite, yet Auger-Aliassime is far from an easy opponent. The Canadian looked strong against Shelton and has the tools to trouble the German. A long contest is likely, with the match topping 22.5 games.
