2 hours ago
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This tournament properly kicked into action yesterday, with two astoundingly good matches. If Zverev is at it tonight, we might well get more of the same tonight. We’l talk about it more tomorrow night, but you really have to feel for poor old Demon who, like Zverev – and Andrey Rublev – has had enough of his best not being good enough. Elite sport is haaaaard.
If Sinner wins tonight, he’s through and Shelton is out; Zverev would play Auger-Aliassime for the second spot. If Zverev wins in two, he goes through.
The effect playing Sinner can have on your mood, part II:
The effect playing Sinner can have on your mood, part I”
Sinner, meanwhile, will look to attack Zverev’s forehand. I’d expect to see him hit at it corner to corner, as well as with his backhand down the line, trying to keep the ball low over the net. He knows, though, he doesn’t exactly need a strategy: if he plays well, he wins
So how does Zverev make it happen? Well, he has to serve at close to his best, which feels eminently possible. And otherwise, he’ll want to target Sinner’s second delivery, as well as hitting his backhand hard and flat down the line, making Sinner hit forehands from the corner and on the run, with time taken away from him. It’s also worth noting that he’s improved his volleying, so he might come in behind some of those – and behind some of his serves – to keep his opponent guessing.
Preamble
Evening all and welcome to the ATP Tour Finals 2025 – day four!
Writing these preambles, it’s hard not to fall into a trap of detailing how and why the latest challenger could and might beat Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz, then saying, yeah, no chance, sorry. Well, here we are again.
And yet. And yet, and yet, and yet. In the opening round of matches, Felix Auger-Aliassime gave Sinner plenty until he got injured, just as yesterday, Taylor Fritz was better than Alcaraz for the best part of two sets. On the other hand and despite it all, the big two both won, comfortably in the end.
Alexander Zverev, though, is a different proposition … or is he? No one without a grand slam title has come closer to seizing one and, for several years, he seemed certain that he’d get there eventually. But then in the final of this year’s Australian Open, Sinner took him apart so surgically and mercilessly that it seemed to kill something inside him, and he’s been dealing with the PTSD ever since.
Until, perhaps, this week. On Sunday night, he played really well in seeing off Ben Shelton, celebrating with such fervour it felt possible that, in those moments, he healed. His serve and backhand remain two of the biggest and best shots in the game and though we can be sure his backhand and net-play will be tested this evening, for the first time since Melbourne, he might feel he has a chance.
Play: 8.30pm GMT, 7.30pm local
