Alexander Zverev Takes On Felix Auger-Aliassime in Season-Ending Championships Match

Preamble

The inherent challenges of tournament pool play typically lead to by this stage of the season-ending championships we’re often left confused, searching around for a calculator and trying to work out the complex qualification scenarios. Yet today's game between Alexander Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime, mercifully, is straightforward. It's a direct elimination: the successful player sets up a final four battle against Carlos Alcaraz at this championship finale; the unsuccessful competitor goes home.

The German is the frontrunner for this: the elite athlete is the more experienced competitor, has been the champion at this event twice before and is ahead in their direct encounters with six victories against three defeats, having won both the games they've played on an enclosed hard court.

Yet … this type of playing field on which Felix has secured most of his championships, he is full of confidence after his remarkable turnaround against Ben Shelton on Wednesday and he defeated Zverev in the US Open early stage in late summer. Plus, conditions are faster in the host city than at Flushing Meadows, which is even more beneficial in Auger-Aliassime's favour.

If Zverev holds back, similar to his performance against the Italian, and Felix aggressively challenges the German with his effective service game and confident shots, there is a strong chance the young Canadian – the former prodigy who was once in line ahead of Alcaraz and Sinner to take over from the Big Three – who secures the dubious honour of competing with the world No 1 the next day.

Action commences: at about 8.30pm local time, 7.30pm GMT.