ATP Finals Day 3 Schedule & Preview: Sinner vs Fritz in battle for top spot, Medvedev and De Minaur fight to stay alive

The second day of the ATP Finals will bring back the Ilie Nastase Group, with a chance to determine the first semifinalist. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner was impressive in his debut against Alex de Minaur and now takes on Taylor Fritz. The American comfortably defeated Daniil Medvedev and is tied with Sinner at the top of the group, having won an equal number of games and sets.

The first match of the day will feature two players on the brink of elimination, both needing a win to stay alive in the tournament. Medvedev struggled in his first match against Fritz (4-6, 3-6). The 2021 US Open champion didn’t perform well against the American, with eight double faults and 24 unforced errors. “Today I actually had my chances. I’ll have them in the next matches. If it doesn’t work out, I go on holiday. I’m happy,” he revealed after the match, adding his frustration with the tournament balls.

The 2020 ATP Finals champion might have seemed like the favorite a few days ago, but his visible frustration against Fritz with the tournament conditions suggests a win over Alex de Minaur may not come easily.

Despite the loss to Sinner, it can’t be said that De Minaur had a poor performance in his debut. The conditions certainly don’t favor the Australian, but he still managed to be competitive against the World No. 1, ultimately falling 3-6, 4-6 to the Italian, who was simply impeccable.

The head-to-head stands at 6-3 in favor of the Russian, with Medvedev winning their first four encounters, many of them against a young De Minaur just finding his way on the Tour. In their recent matchups, things have evened out, with three wins for the Australian in their last five meetings, two of them on hard courts.

Jannik Sinner will take the court looking to secure his spot in the semifinals. If De Minaur beats Medvedev and Sinner does the same against Fritz, the Italian will secure his position in the semifinals. The world No. 1 delivered a masterful performance in his debut, constantly challenging De Minaur’s serve and proving himself (at least) among the top two or three returners on the Tour today.

The local hero has also been the center of attention leading up to the tournament, and his first match was packed with Italian fans in support. If Fritz had the home crowd advantage in the recent US Open final, this time it will undoubtedly be in Sinner’s favor. In his last match, he won 81% of his service points and saved the only break point he faced.

Against the American, Sinner will face a player who’s much more comfortable on a hardcourt surface, often dictating play with his serve and strong forehand. Against Medvedev, Fritz won 85% of his points on first serve and saved all three break points he faced. He also took advantage of Medvedev’s vulnerability on second serve, converting two of his four break points.

The head-to-head is in Sinner’s favor at 2-1, with Fritz’s only victory dating back to 2021. Their last match was none other than the US Open final, where Sinner had no issues clinching his second Grand Slam title in straight sets (6-3, 6-4, 7-5). This time, the faster conditions could help Fritz keep the match competitive, though Sinner once again appears to be the strong favorite.