The World number one and two, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic surprisingly crashed out of the ATP finals in the round robin group stage. Defending champion Alexander Zverev claimed the remaining semi-final spot in the Andre Agassi group ahead of Nadal who had earlier beaten group leader Stefano Tsitsipas but required Daniil Medvedev to beat the German. On Thursday, in a winner takes all game in Björn Borg group, Roger Federer produced a majestic performance as he sent Djokovic out of the competition.
The semi-final pairings will see Dominic Thiem take on Alexander Zverev while Stefano Tsitsipas will battle it out with Roger Federer for the two spots in the finals.
Can Thiem end Zverev reign as ATP Finals champion when they face each other tonight? Both players will be facing each other for the first time this season. Thiem is in the semis for the first time in four attempts while Zverev is competing in his second straight semi-final. The Austrian has had a good year, winning five titles and reaching the French Open finals. His performances in his opening two games where he defeated Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic attest to the fact that he can deliver in the big games but his poor record or luck at the O2 Arena needs to change. His counterpart Alexander Zverev is enjoying his time in London again. He kicked off with a victory against Rafa Nadal and saw off Daniil Medvedev in a must win final group game. “The O2 is the most special arena for me. It’s where I play my best tennis. The atmosphere here is something we don’t play in anywhere else in the world. It’s so special to us.” Zverev said after his victory over Medvedev on Friday night. He might love the O2 Arena but he will need to improve his current head-to-head record against Thiem who leads 5-2.
Thiem vs Zverev is live today Saturday, 16 November from 9:00pm local time/ 8:00pm GMT at the 02 Arena. It should be a close match, enjoy the game.
In earlier in the day, the Greek sensation Stefano Tsitsipas will take on Roger Federer for the fourth time this year. The rising Greek star stunned Federer in their first meeting at the Australia Open in January but the Swiss maestro has responded back with victories in Dubai and Basel. Can the great Swiss secure a third straight victory over the young Greek to reach the championship match at the year-end Finals for an 11th time? Federer has been incredibly consistent in the tournament and will be featuring in his 16th semi-final in 17 appearances on Saturday as he continues his bid for a record-extending seventh title at the season-ending Finals. Tsitsipas will have a thing or two to say about this record happening; the Greek has broken through from outside top-90 to establishing himself in the top-10 all in this year. Just last year, he was wining the Next Gen ATP Finals but is a match away from competing in the Nitto ATP Finals. It has been a remarkable year indeed for this youngster.
Tsitsipas is in the hunt for his sixth final of the season while Federer is looking to join Djokovic and Thiem on a tour-leading fifth title of the season. Tsitsipas vs Federer is live today Saturday, 16 November from 3:00pm local time/ 2:00pm GMT at the 02 Arena. Can the Greek make that quick turnaround and be ready to go full haul against Federer on Saturday afternoon? The Swiss maestro had an extra day rest and that might count.