Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Nitto ATP Finals doubles match.
The Italian pair, Bolelli and Vavassori, are playing on home turf in Turin, eager to deliver their best tennis. Their opening victory over Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden (6:2, 6:3) has boosted their confidence, yet Krawietz and Pütz, who defeated the top duo of Marcelo Arevalo and Ante Pavic (6:3, 6:4) in their debut match, are not planning to slow down. The Germans have established themselves as formidable opponents, achieving excellent results on hard courts and in indoor conditions this season.
Simone Bolelli/ Andrea Vavassori
The Italians can't boast consistency on indoor hard courts. Since September, they have suffered three losses in five indoor matches, indicating some adaptation difficulties to faster surfaces. They overcame Bopanna and Ebden in their first tournament match, but it was clear their opponents weren't in top form, which somewhat devalues the Italians' victory in terms of their current indoor performance. Notably, Bolelli and Vavassori have beaten the Germans twice in head-to-head encounters with one loss, but every match extended to 22 games, showing plenty of competitive balance.
Kevin Krawietz/ Tim Pütz
The German duo have hit great form, winning nine of their last ten matches on both open and indoor courts, including four consecutive indoor victories post-US Open. Krawietz and Pütz consistently showcase high-level play indoors, demonstrated by wins over pairs like Austin Krajicek/ Rajeev Ram in the Davis Cup (6:1, 7:6) and Marcelo Arevalo/ Ante Pavic at this tournament. The Germans perform better in crucial moments; since the beginning of the year, their third-set record on hard courts is 9-4 compared to the Italians’ 5-4.
Simone Bolelli/ Andrea Vavassori vs Kevin Krawietz/ Tim Pütz Prediction
A tightly contested match is anticipated, with key points and confidence during critical moments likely to prove decisive—especially if the match leads to tiebreaks. Given Krawietz and Pütz's stable indoor results and their successful indoor hard court season, we favour the German tandem.
