It’s Semifinal Saturday in Turin.
Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev both went 3-0 during round-robin play, and we are one round away from a blockbuster championship match between the top two seeds. However, on Saturday, Sinner must first overcome Casper Ruud, while Zverev plays Taylor Fritz.
Each day, this preview will analyze the most intriguing matchup, while highlighting the other matches on the schedule. Saturday’s play begins at 12:00pm local time.
Jannik Sinner (1) vs. Casper Ruud (6) – Not Before 8:30pm
Sinner is now a superb 68-6 on the year, and 48-3 on hard courts. He comes into this match on a nine-match win streak, and has dropped only one set since the start of the Shanghai Masters over a month ago. And since arriving in Cincinnati three months ago, he is now 25-1, with his only loss coming in the final of Beijing to Carlos Alcaraz. And Jannik only succumbed to defeat in that match after almost three-and-a-half hours of play, and in a final-set tiebreak. His domination of the ATP tour only seems to grow in magnitude.
Ruud was a miserable 2-9 in his last 11 matches coming into this event, yet he has now advanced to the semifinals in all three of his appearances at the ATP Finals. In 2021, he lost in the semifinals to Daniil Medvedev. In 2022, he defeated Andrey Rublev in the semifinals. Casper also defeated Rublev on Friday in three sets, even though just winning one set secured his semifinal spot.
Sinner is 2-0 against Ruud, with both matches taking place on indoor hard courts, and both matches going to the Italian in straight sets. Based on their recent form, Jannik is a strong favorite to win again on Saturday, and return to the championship match for the second straight year.
Other Notable Matches on Saturday:
Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz (8) vs. Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson (5) – Both teams went 2-1 during round-robin play. This is a rematch from the US Open final in September, when Purcell and Thompson prevailed in straight sets.
Alexander Zverev (2) vs. Taylor Fritz (5) – Zverev comes into this match on an eight-match winning streak. But Fritz leads their head-to-head 6-5, and claimed tight encounters with Zverev this year at both Wimbledon and the US Open.
Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten (7) vs. Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic (1) – Wimbledon champs Heliovaara and Patten are a perfect 3-0 in Turin thus far, while Arevalo and Pavic snapped a five-match losing streak by winning their last two matches this week. These teams split two meetings this past summer.
Saturday’s full Order of Play is here.
