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Introduction

The inherent challenges of round-robin tennis often result in at this point of the ATP Finals viewers are commonly confused, searching around for a computing device and striving to determine the mind-boggling qualification scenarios. But today's game between Alexander Zverev and Auger-Aliassime, mercifully, is easy. It’s a straight shootout: the successful player sets up a final four contest against Carlos Alcaraz at this championship finale; the defeated player is eliminated.

Zverev is the predicted winner for this: the third-ranked player is the more accomplished player, has claimed the title at this tournament on two prior occasions 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.

But … this is the surface on which Auger-Aliassime has claimed most of his championships, he is in great form after his compelling comeback against Ben Shelton on recently and he defeated Zverev in the US Open early stage in late summer. Furthermore, the playing speed is higher in the host city than at Flushing Meadows, which works even more in the Canadian's favor.

If the German player is reserved, as he did against the Italian, and the Canadian presses the German with his effective service game and confident shots, it could well be the young Canadian – the one-time phenom who was once in line ahead of the Spanish and Italian stars to succeed the tennis icons – who obtains the dubious honour of competing with the global leader the next day.

Play begins: at about 8.30pm local time, 7.30pm GMT.