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Overview

The typical complications of tournament pool play often result in by this stage of the ATP World Tour Finals we’re often left puzzled, hastily looking for a computing device and trying to work out the mind-boggling qualification scenarios. But today's game between Alexander Zverev and Auger-Aliassime, fortunately, is simple. It's a direct elimination: the victor earns a semifinal contest against Alcaraz at this season-ending event; the unsuccessful competitor goes home.

Zverev is the predicted winner for this: the third-ranked player is the more accomplished player, has claimed the title at this event previously on two instances and leads their head-to-head 6-3, winning both their previous matches on an enclosed hard court.

However … this particular court on which the Canadian has won the majority of his titles, he is in great form after his compelling comeback against Shelton on Wednesday and he took out the German in the US Open early stage in August. Plus, the court pace is quicker in Turin than at Flushing Meadows, which provides an additional advantage in Auger-Aliassime's benefit.

If Zverev holds back, as he did against the Italian, and the Canadian presses the European player with his effective service game and fearless play, there is a strong chance the North American athlete – the earlier standout who was previously positioned ahead of the Spanish and Italian stars to succeed the Big Three – who obtains the questionable privilege of playing against the world No 1 on Saturday.

Action commences: at around 20:30 in the host city, 7.30pm GMT.