Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Nitto ATP Finals doubles match.
Following defeats in their opening matches of the Bob Bryan group, both partnerships—Arevalo with Pavic and Bopanna with Ebden—are in desperate need of a victory to keep their tournament hopes alive. Arevalo and Pavic, the top-seeded duo, are eager to meet expectations, but their current form and struggles on indoor surfaces raise concerns. Although Bopanna and Ebden lost their first encounter, they have the advantage of previous successful performances indoors and last year's accomplishments in final indoor tournaments.
Marcelo Arevalo/ Mate Pavic
The pair have faced significant difficulties on indoor surfaces, losing all four of their indoor matches this season. Their main advantage has been on clay (19-4), while their hard court record is less impressive (18-8). Their opening match against Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz ended with Arevalo and Pavic failing to secure a single break, highlighting their poor current form on fast surfaces.
Rohan Bopanna/ Matthew Ebden
The Indian and Australian duo have fared somewhat better, with nine wins out of 16 indoor matches since 2023. Last season, they reached the finals in Rotterdam and Paris, as well as the semi-finals at the ATP Finals. Despite a disappointing start against Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori , Bopanna and Ebden have shown confident play indoors over the past month. They have claimed victories over strong pairings like Robin Haase/ Alexander Zverev and Marcelo Melo/ Alexander Zverev. Their matches against top duos Neal Skupski/ Michael Venus and Wesley Koolhof/ Nikola Mektic ended in narrow losses, demonstrating their impressive resistance.
Marcelo Arevalo/ Mate Pavic vs Rohan Bopanna/ Matthew Ebden Prediction
Given Arevalo and Pavic's poor indoor results and their tendency for errors on fast surfaces, the more experienced Bopanna and Ebden are likely to perform better. The Indian and Australian feel more assured indoors, which leads us to back them for the win in this match.
