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Preamble

The occupational hazards of tournament pool play mean at this point of the ATP World Tour Finals we’re often left confused, hastily looking for a computing device and striving to determine the brain-busting potential outcomes for advancement. However tonight’s match between Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime, thankfully, is easy. It's a direct elimination: the winner earns a semi-final matchup against Alcaraz at this season-ending event; the unsuccessful competitor heads out.

Zverev is the predicted winner for this: the elite athlete is the more accomplished player, has claimed the title at this event on two prior occasions and leads their head-to-head with six victories against three defeats, having won both their previous matches on an indoor hard court.

However … this particular court on which the Canadian has won the bulk of his trophies, he is in great form after his impressive recovery against Ben Shelton on Wednesday and he defeated the German in the US Championships third round in August. Plus, the court pace is quicker in the host city than at Flushing Meadows, which works even more in Auger-Aliassime's benefit.

If the German player is reserved, as he did against Sinner, and the Canadian presses the European player with his effective service game and bold strategy, it might very well be the young Canadian – the one-time phenom who was previously positioned ahead of the Spanish and Italian stars to take over from the legendary trio – who obtains the questionable privilege of playing against the top-ranked player on Saturday.

The match starts: at approximately 8:30 PM in Turin, 19:30 Greenwich Mean Time.