ATP Finals Day 6 Schedule & Preview: Alcaraz faces Zverev in crucial showdown, Ruud and Rublev fight for survival

The 6th Day of ATP Finals will mark the last Round Robin day, determining Jannik Sinner and Taylor Fritz's semifinal opponents The day will be led by the match between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, where the Spaniard needs a victory if he wants to keep his chances alive to advance.

Earlier, Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev still hold hopes of progressing, although the winner will need to keep an eye on the Alcaraz-Zverev match to determine their qualification.

Ruud and Rublev’s ATP Finals destiny in the balance

At the beginning of the tournament, Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev were the players in the worst form at the end of the year, with no significant results. However, both managed to qualify after Novak Djokovic's withdrawal and earned a spot in the draw. The Russian has suffered two defeats to Alcaraz and Zverev, while the Norwegian shocked everyone with a straight-set win over the Spaniard in his debut.

Read also

Tournament Centre ATP Finals 2024: Schedule, all results, Prize Money, Draw and TV Guide

Probably the most surprising result of the tournament so far was Ruud's huge victory, as he had only won one of his last eight matches and easily defeated the 4-time Grand Slam champion. In the match against Zverev, he remained competitive for most of the match but faltered at key moments. Still, he looks like the favorite against Rublev, who has yet to win a set.

The World No. 8 is at the bottom of the group and has yet to secure a break chance in his two previous matches. Against Ruud, he'll face a player who doesn’t rely on a high number of aces, but who maintained an 80% first serve accuracy against Zverev, winning 73% of them, making him tough to handle for any opponent.

Both players must win, especially Rublev. A victory from the Russian wouldn’t completely eliminate Ruud, but it would depend on a significant win from Zverev against Alcaraz. Rublev leads their head-to-head 5-2, though Ruud’s two wins came in their ATP Finals encounters in 2021 and 2022.

Ruud defeated Alcaraz in the opener

Alcaraz fights for semifinal hope against Zverev

Alexander Zverev arrives in excellent form, making him a strong contender for the title. Neither Rublev nor Ruud could create a break chance, while Zverev’s serve and impressive backhand have allowed him to dominate his matches, securing a place in the next round. He’ll only need to take one set from Alcaraz to at least claim second place.

Read also

Daily Dose of Social Media: Raducanu celebrates birthday as Sinner takes a football break during ATP Finals

Zverev holds a 16-9 record in the tournament after seven appearances, winning titles in 2018 and 2021. With 68 wins this season, matching Sinner’s record, the recent Paris Masters champion is, alongside Sinner, one of the most comfortable players in the Turin conditions. He’ll be a tough opponent for Alcaraz, who has shown two very different performances against Ruud and Rublev.

Perhaps the lack of rhythm hurt Alcaraz in his first match, coming off a painful loss to Ugo Humbert in the Paris-Bercy round of 16. However, against Rublev, he loosened up on the court, dominating with his serve, winning 78% of points, and showing solid effectiveness under pressure by converting two of the four break points in his favor.

Alcaraz will face Zverev for the first time since the French Open Final in June

Their head-to-head is tied 5-5 (with Zverev leading 4-2 on hardcourts). If World No. 2 Alcaraz manages to take a set from Zverev, he will qualify for the semifinals. A win will guarantee him first place in the group and prevent him from facing Sinner until the potential final. On the other hand, if Rublev beats Ruud, Alcaraz just needs a win to advance, but if the Norwegian wins, Alcaraz will need a significant victory.

2024 Nitto ATP Finals (11-14)

Centre Court

Group Stage - Final
7Harri Heliovaara-7Henry Patten	4 6 1
3Wesley Koolhof-3Nikola Mektic	6 3 0

Group Stage - Final
7Alex De Minaur	7 4 3
5Taylor Fritz	5 6 6

Group Stage - Final
5Max Purcell-5Jordan Thompson	7 6
2Marcel Granollers-2Horacio Zeballos	6 3

Group Stage - Final
4Daniil Medvedev	3 4
1Jannik Sinner	6 6