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With six-time champion Roger Federer getting eliminated in the semi-finals of the ATP Finals, the season-finale trophy will be held aloft by a member of the younger generation this year. Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem will battle it out to see who gets a chance to square off against the Greek sensation and Federer-slayer, Stefanos Tsitsipas in the summit showdown at the O2 Arena on Sunday.
With Zverev gunning to defend his title and Thiem charged up after his big wins over Novak Djokovic and Federer this week, the second semi-final presents a mouthwatering clash. The World No. 5 Thiem's mastery of hardcourts has come as a pleasant surprise. The way he has shaped himself into a versatile player after starting out predominantly as a claycourter speaks volumes of his hunger and desire to excel.
He managed to drown the Federer ship in straights sets in his opening game and then passed the Djokovic test with flying colours as well. The Austrian did suffer a loss in his final round-robin match against Matteo Berrettini but that can be attributed to his relaxed approach and his reluctance to overexert himself after having qualified for the semi-finals.
Zverev, on the other hand, started off his title defence with a phenomenal win over Rafael Nadal only to capitulate to his nemesis, Tsitsipas, in his next match. The young German did manage to rebound against Daniil Medvedev, a result which sent the Year-End World No. 1 Nadal crashing out of the tournament. Buoyed by last night's performance, Zverev would be hoping to replicate those efforts when he takes the court later tonight.
However, his head-to-head record against Thiem does him no favours as the Austrian leads 5-2. The Indian Wells Masters champion also won their solitary face-off on indoor hardcourts, which should give him the edge in this clash.
While Zverev has struggled for the better part of the season, this has been a career-best season for Thiem which saw him triumph in five events, three of which were on hardcourts. After such a blazing start to his campaign this week, it won't be a surprise to see Thiem doing everything he can to put himself in a position to win the year-ending championships in what's been a truly memorable season.
Prediction: Dominic Thiem in three sets
Here are all the details you need to know about the Nitto ATP Finals 2019
Tournament Name: Nitto ATP Finals 2019
Date: 10 November - 17 November 2019
Category: Year-ending championships
Location: London, United Kingdom
Venue: The O2 Arena
Prize Money: US$9,000,000
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Schedule: (5) Dominic Thiem vs (7) Alexander Zverev on Centre Court at 1:30 am IST on 17th November 2019
Where to watch Nitto ATP Finals 2019 in India?
The Nitto ATP Finals 2019 will be telecast on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD.
Live stream details for Nitto ATP Finals 2019
Nitto ATP Finals 2019 live stream is available on Tennis TV (a subscription is needed for the service).
Sony Liv will also be broadcasting the matches.
