In the day’s most marquee matchup, the world No.1 from Australia faces a two-time Major champion who has simply demolished all opposition this week.
Three other singles titles and three doubles titles will also be decided on Sunday, with all three doubles finals featuring the top seeds, and two of them with the top seeds facing the second seeds. The WTA announced their delayed event, the Grampians Trophy, will only complete the semifinals and not crown a champion, as they will not ask today’s winners to play twice just hours before Monday’s start of the Australian Open. But the ATP Cup will crown it’s second championship team on Sunday, as Russia takes on Italy.
The ATP Cup semifinal matches will be played on Rod Laver Arena starting at 10:00am local time. The WTA 500 and ATP 250 singles matches will begin at 11:00am on Margaret Court Arena and Court 3, and doubles at 1:00pm on 1573 Arena.
The ATP Cup, a Round Robin Team Event between 12 Nations
Andrey Rublev (RUS) vs. Fabio Fognini (ITA) – 10:00am on RLA
Rublev was awesome in 2020, with a record of 41-10 and an astounding five titles in a shortened season. But he is 1-5 lifetime against Fognini, and 0-3 on hard courts. Notably, they haven’t played since the fall of 2019. The 23-year-old Russian is 3-0 this week, while is unpredictable Italian is 2-1.
Daniil Medvedev (RUS) vs. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) – Second on RLA
The reigning ATP Finals champion is on 13-match win streak, though he is coming off a long, grueling affair yesterday against Sascha Zverev. The 24-year-old Italian is yet to drop a set this week, and that’s against three players ranked inside the top 13. They’ve only played once previously, with Medvedev prevailing 6-4 in the third at Indian Wells in 2018. Both men are much better players three years later.
If Russia and Italy split the singles matches, we may see a few of these singles players compete in a doubles match that would decide the championship.
The Yarra Valley Classic, a WTA 500 Event
Ash Barty (1) vs. Garbine Muguruza (6) – 11:00am on MCA
Muguruza’s scorelines this week read as follows: 6-2, 6-0, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1, 6-0. That’s a total of 10 games lost over eight sets. And it includes a victory over Sofia Kenin, who defeated Garbine last year in the Australian Open final. Ash has dropped two sets this week in her first tournament in almost 12 months, and received a walkover in the semifinals from Serena Williams. Barty is 2-1 against Muguruza, and 1-1 on hard courts. All three of their encounters have required three sets.
The Gippsland Trophy, a WTA 500 Event
Elise Mertens (7) vs. Kaia Kanepi – Not Before 12:00pm on MCA
Mertens has become one of the WTA’s most consistent performers. Last year she accumulated 34 match wins, and reached eight quarterfinals. However, she hasn’t won a title since February of 2019. Kanepi won three ITF titles in the fall, and is on a 13-match win streak at all levels. As per the WTA, this is Kanepi’s first tour-level final in eight years. They’ve split two previous clashes, both on clay.
Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova (1) vs. Hao-Ching Chan and Latisha Chan (2) – 1:00pm on 1573
The Czech No.1 seeds were two-time Major champions in 2018, while the sisters from Taiwan won four titles in 2019.
The Murray River Open, an ATP 250 Event
Felix Auger-Aliassime (3) vs. Dan Evans (8) – Not Before 2:00pm on RLA
One of these men will win their first career ATP title on Sunday. Evans is 0-2 in his previous finals, while Auger-Aliassime is a dismal 0-6, and 0-12 in sets. Dan is 8-0 in sets this week, with Felix dropping only one. Not only has neither man won a final before, but they’ve also never played each other.
Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic (1) vs. Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin (5) – Third on 1573
Mektic and Pavic are a newly-formed partnership this season, and are undefeated as a team. They already won a title this year in Antalya. Chardy and Martin won the Rome Masters event last September.
The Great Ocean Road Open, an ATP 250 Event
Jannik Sinner (2) vs. Stefano Travaglia – Not Before 2:00pm on Court 3
As per Luca Brancher on Twitter, this is the first ATP final between two Italians since 1988, when Massimiliano Narducci won his lone ATP title against Claudio Panatta in Florence, Italy. This will be the first ATP final for Travaglia, a 29-year-old who will debut inside the top 60 on Monday. 19-year-old Sinner is of course one of the sport’s fastest-rising stars, and is on a nine-match win streak, having raised the winner’s trophy in Sofia to end 2020. This is their first career meeting.
Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah (1) vs. Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares (2) – Second on 1573
Cabal and Farah won two Majors in 2019, while Murray and Soares won two Majors in 2016. This is Murray and Soares’ first event back together as a team.
The Grampians Trophy, a WTA 500 Event
Maria Sakkari (5) vs. Anett Kontaveit (6) – 11:00am on Court 3
Sakkari comfortably defeated Angelique Kerber on Saturday, as Kontaveit received a walkover from Victoria Azarenka. Sakkari leads their head-to-head 3-2, and 2-1 on hard courts.
Jennifer Brady (7) vs. Ann Li – Not Before 12:30pm on Court 3
Brady, a semifinalist last year at the US Open, has not dropped a set through three matches this week. Li is a 20-year-old who only owned three tour-level wins prior to this week. These two Americans have never previously played.
Sunday’s ATP Cup schedule is here, and the rest of the schedule here.
