Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Finals match.
Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur will battle for a place in the play-offs in the Jimmy Connors Group. The American, after defeating Lorenzo Musetti (6:3, 6:4), now faces the Australian, who has lost two matches in a row.
Taylor Fritz
Taylor Fritz is on the rise: a 55-23 season record with two grass titles and a Wimbledon semi-final. However, in four of his six indoor matches he has needed a tie-break. Even at the Nitto ATP Finals, after a confident win over Lorenzo Musetti, he extended the match against Carlos Alcaraz (7:6, 5:7, 3:6). He has a rich head-to-head history with Alex de Minaur — five wins and five losses — and in six meetings the total exceeded 23 games.
Alex de Minaur
Alex de Minaur, despite a strong year at 56-23 with a title at the Citi Open, is in a slump. He also tends to extend his matches — in five of his last nine he has needed a tie-break or a third set. At the ATP Finals he started 0-2 (losses to Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti), going three sets with Musetti and losing the first set to Alcaraz in a tie-break. He finds it tough against Fritz, having won outright only once in their last seven meetings.
Taylor Fritz vs Alex de Minaur Prediction
Taylor Fritz has approached the ATP Finals with far more confidence and even took a set from Carlos Alcaraz. De Minaur failed in his first two matches and looks likely to conclude his campaign here, though he will compete hard. We expect a long match with a final victory for Fritz.
