Zverev, Alcaraz set for high-stakes tussle in Turin

The round-robin stage of the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals concludes Friday, with all still to play for in the John Newcombe Group.

Alexander Zverev tops the table with a 2-0 record, but even his place in the semi-finals is not guaranteed ahead of a Day 6 showdown with Carlos Alcaraz. Following that day-session clash, evening opponents Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev will know exactly where they stand in their quest for the knockout rounds.

In doubles action, Germans Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz bid to complete a perfect campaign in the Bob Bryan Group when they take on sixth seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden. Top seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic face Italians Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in a de facto quarter-final, with the winner set to advance to the semis alongside group winners Krawietz/Puetz. Arevalo and Pavic clinched Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by PIF honours after Thursday's results in Turin.

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[2] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs. [3] Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)
While Zverev tops the group with a pair of straight-set wins against Rublev and Ruud, he must win at least one set against Alcaraz to confirm his place in the semi-finals — though he could still progress even with a straight-sets defeat.

The German's Nitto ATP Finals experience has shone through this week, with Zverev sharp from the very first ball in Turin. A two-time champion at the season finale (2018, 2021), Zverev owns a 16-9 record at the event in seven appearances — the most of any competitor this year.

"It means I'm old!" the 27-year-old joked about that stat. "But I still don’t feel old. I hope I have another solid 10 years ahead of me, but I think it’s a young group of guys. There has been kind of a shift in tennis this year and I think it’s a good thing. They’re exciting new players and everybody loves watching them.”

Alcaraz, already a four-time Grand Slam champion at the age of 21, is one of the young stars leading that shift. He faced a tumultuous start in his second Turin appearance, battling through illness and dropping his opening match to Ruud in straight sets. With the aid of a pink nasal strip, he recovered enough to beat Rublev 6-3, 7-6(8) in his second match, keeping him firmly in the hunt for a semi-final spot.

“It was a very solid match. I needed it and it gives me a lot of confidence for Friday, which will be tough," the Spaniard assessed. "My chances of qualifying are still there, so we’re going to go all out.”

Friday's matchup will break a 5-5 tie in the Lexus ATP Head2Head between Alcaraz and Zverev. They met three times this season on some of the game's biggest stages, with Zverev winning in the Australian Open quarters before Alcaraz triumphed in the Indian Wells quarters and in a five-set Roland Garros final.

The multi-surface success of both men underlines their ability to attack and defend at an elite level, with both presenting few holes for opponents to exploit. When they were drawn in the same group, Alcaraz explained just what makes the German such a tough out.

“He is one of the toughest players in the world for sure," he said of Zverev. "I think I return pretty well but he has a really big serve and plays unbelievable from the baseline, which makes him a really tough opponent to face.

"I don’t like to face him because of his serves and shots," he continued, "but I am trying to find the beauty of playing him."

Neither player has won more than two consecutive matches so far in this Lexus ATP Head2Head series. Alcaraz will look to change that on Friday.

[6] Casper Ruud (NOR) vs. [8] Andrey Rublev
At 0-2 and without a set won this week, Rublev has only one path to the semi-finals. He must score a straight-sets win against Ruud and have Zverev defeat Alcaraz in straight sets. That would send Zverev through to the semis as group winner and set up a three-way tie for second place, which would be broken by percentage of games won.

Ruud sits in second place in the group with a 1-1 record and will know exactly what he needs to do to progress by the time he takes the court Friday evening. The Norwegian will put his friendship with Rublev to one side as the pair lock horns for a fierce battle in the Inalpi Arena, just as Rublev will park his friendly off-court disposition in favour of his fiery on-court persona.

"[Rublev] just rips the ball from both sides. He is such a kind person," Ruud said of that dichotomy. "I looked up to him because he is a year older than me and he got to the Top 10 and started winning big tournaments way before I did."

Ruud has already encountered plenty of power from Alcaraz and Zverev this week, but both of those players tend to pick their spots to go big. Rublev, by contrast, will often red-line at every opportunity. While he has yet to hit his stride in Turin, there's still time for his tennis to click.

Rublev described his season as a rollercoaster, with titles in Hong Kong and Madrid — plus a final run in Montreal — among the peaks. On the back end of an eventful year, he entered his fifth Nitto ATP Finals feeling relaxed.

"I’m trying to do a different approach this year. At least I feel more relaxed and that’s the best," he explained. "Out of four times I’ve played, I went to the semi-finals only once. Three times I lost in the group round. So if I lose three or four times, doesn’t change anything."

With nothing to lose in his group finale, expect Rublev to take the action to Ruud in a baseline battle.

Doubles Action
Krawietz/Puetz are confirmed as group winners and Bopanna/Ebden have been eliminated from semi-final contention, but both will be playing for PIF ATP Doubles Rankings points and prize money in their Friday matchup.

The evening matchup between Arevalo/Pavic and Bolelli/Vavassori will determine the second-place team in the Bob Bryan Group. With both teams owning a 1-1 match record and a 2-2 set record, the Italians enter the match in second place based on percentage of games won. There will be no tie-break procedures needed come Friday night after what essentially amounts to a quarter-final contest.

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