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.
Medvedev
and De Minaur face off to avoid elimination
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.
Alex De Minaur at 2024 US Open.
Sinner
and Fritz battle for top spot in Ilie Nastase Group
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.
Jannik Sinner at 2024 Shanghai Masters.
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.
2024 Nitto ATP Finals (11-11)
Centre Court
Group Stage - Final |
8Kevin Krawietz-8Tim Puetz |
6 6 |
1Marcelo Arevalo-1Mate Pavic |
3 4 |
Group Stage - Final |
6Casper Ruud |
6 7 |
3Carlos Alcaraz |
1 5 |
Group Stage - Final |
6Rohan Bopanna-6Matthew Ebden |
2 3 |
4Simone Bolelli-4Andrea Vavassori |
6 6 |
Group Stage - Final |
8Andrey Rublev |
4 4 |
2Alexander Zverev |
6 6 |