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Medvedev & Zverev Clash Takes Centre Stage In Turin

  • Posted: Nov 16, 2021

Red Group action resumes on Tuesday, headlined by a mouthwatering clash between two former Nitto ATP Finals winners: defending champion Daniil Medvedev will take on Alexander Zverev, who claimed the 2018 finale title.

Second seed Medvedev and third seed Zverev have spent much of 2021 lifting trophies and cementing their place in the Top 5 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. After turning heads all season long, the pair is as evenly-matched as it comes. 

Zverev, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medal winner, is the only player to have won multiple ATP Masters 1000 titles with his victories at the Mutua Madrid Open and Western & Southern Open. World No. 2 Medvedev, who lifted his first major title at the US Open, was the only player to halt Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam dominance this season.

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But at this level of competition, it’s anyone’s game. According to the Russian, the faster conditions inside the Pala Alpitour, Italy’s largest indoor sporting arena, will likely serve as a great equalizer for the Top Eight players at the Nitto ATP Finals.

“I think I prefer fast conditions, but this is probably the fastest I’ve ever faced on the ATP Tour,” Medvedev said after his opening win. “The ball goes very fast through the air. In the match [against Hubert Hurkacz], I was barely under pressure on my serve against a great returner… Everything is different [in Turin].”

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Despite not feeling pressured on serve, Medvedev indeed found himself challenged in his first match. Seventh seed Hurkacz took the opening set in a tie-break, but the World No. 2 found his way back to win 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4.

Third seed Zverev came into his first match against local hope Matteo Berrettini expecting to take on the full force of the Turin crowd along with his opponent. But he was one game into the second set – he won the first 7-6(7) – when Berrettini was forced to retire due to an abdominal injury. 

Still, all the positive signs were there for the German: He struck 10 aces against Berrettini in the tight opening set, and won 75 per cent of his first serve points before the match was halted. 

“I have played good tennis this year,” Zverev said before the tournament. “I’ve won five titles and I’m the only player who has won multiple [ATP] Masters [1000 titles] this year. It comes with good tennis. Also, at the Olympics, I won a gold medal. 

“I am looking forward to this tournament. I didn’t come here just as a participant, but I want to win matches and do well here.”

Medvedev and Zverev are locked at five wins apiece in their ATP Head2Head series, with the Russian claiming a narrow 3-2 lead when the matches take place on indoor hard-courts. In fact, Medvedev has won their past three indoor matchups in a row – including the Rolex Paris Masters semi-finals two weeks ago, and a one-sided victory at last year’s Nitto ATP Finals en route to the title.

Success for Zverev would see him qualify directly for the semi-finals in Turin, but he would have to score his first victory over Medvedev since 2019 in order to get there. That win also came at the Nitto ATP Finals in London – a spot of good news for Zverev, as he faces down a player with the game and the wingspan to possibly neutralise his biggest weapon, the booming serve. 

Later in the day, the Pala Alpitour will welcome back local hero Berrettini to the night session as the sixth seed takes on Hurkacz. Both players are vying to keep their Red Group bids alive: after Berrettini retired against Zverev and Hurkacz suffered a three-set defeat to Medvedev, they are looking for a strong win on Tuesday to get back on track in Turin.

It will be Berrettini and Hurkacz’s second meeting of the season. On his way to the Wimbledon final, the Italian ended Hurkacz’s Grand Slam breakthrough in the semi-finals. The Pole will be aiming for revenge – as well as redemption, after dropping his opening match.

“I still have a chance to qualify from the group, it’s great. I’ll just keep fighting and then keep believing in myself,” Hurkacz said afterward. “I’ll just try to stay positive. OK, I lost this match, but I’ll think about the positives and what I can do better and prepare for the next one.”

Should Berrettini be unable to take the court against Hurkacz, he will be replaced by the first alternate, 20-year-old countryman Jannik Sinner.

Doubles action also continues on Tuesday at the Pala Alpitour, as top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic return to the court. The Croatians are looking to capture the Nitto ATP Finals doubles trophy as the crowning jewel of their glittering debut season, which includes a victory at Wimbledon and a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Mektic and Pavic will take on fourth seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos – both teams sit comfortably atop the Green Group table with a win apiece.

Sixth seeds Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek will face eighth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecau, as both teams seek their first win of the Nitto ATP Finals.

ORDER OF PLAY – TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2021
CENTRE COURT start 11:30 am
[1] N. Mektic (CRO) / M. Pavic (CRO) vs [4] M. Granollers (ESP) / H. Zeballos (ARG)

Not Before 2:00 pm
[2] D. Medvedev (RUS) vs [3] A. Zverev (GER)

Not Before 6:30 pm
[6] I. Dodig (CRO) / F. Polasek (SLO) vs [8] K. Krawietz (GER) /H. Tecau (ROU)

Not Before 9:00 pm
[6] M. Berrettini (ITA) vs [7] H. Hurkacz (POL)

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Norrie's Analysis: The Djokovic Nightmare, Medvedev's 45-Second Flashes & More

  • Posted: Nov 15, 2021

Cameron Norrie has enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2021, winning his first ATP Tour title in Los Cabos and capturing his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown at Indian Wells.

The Briton fell just short of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals, but he is in Italy as the second alternate. On Monday, the lefty analysed the Turin field and the first alternate, Jannik Sinner.

Novak Djokovic
I think there’s no real game plan with Novak. He has such a complete game, moves so well, you can’t get the ball past him. I also think his first serve is very underrated. He’s a nightmare to play. I’ve never played him, but if I were to play him, it would be a nightmare.

I haven’t thought about [a game plan] too much, but he’s pretty good [with his] first serve [and first] ball, he’s pretty good in long rallies and he moves exceptionally well. He’s probably the best mover on Tour and his backhand is insane as well, so it’s tough. He’s a very good player.

Daniil Medvedev
Medvedev is tricky because he serves from a tree and his service games usually last 45 seconds. Then you still have to serve and you’re playing 10-minute games, Deuce, Ad-in, Deuce, Ad-in.

You finally hold and you’re back serving again within 45 seconds because he’s got a great serve. But he’s very consistent from the baseline and he plays very deep.

Alexander Zverev
I think he’s a little bit more aggressive than Medvedev, but also has a big first serve and he can do everything with his backhand side. He can go backhand [down the] line, backhand crosscourt. He has a decent slice and more recently he’s been coming forward a bit more and is also a very complete player. When he’s looking for the forehand and has a bit of time on that side, he’s dangerous.

Stefanos Tsitsipas
Especially in slow conditions, he’s very tricky. He can look for his forehand. He’s got one of the best forehands in the world and can hit all parts of the court. I also think his first serve is very underrated. His backhand is tricky because he can get quite a lot of height and depth on it. That’s tough, and I think he really defends the forehand well.

He’s also a very complete player, and I would say he’s maybe got the best volleys in the world right now, if not [he is in the] top three. He knows when to come forward and he sneaks forward very well. He has pretty good hands.

Andrey Rublev
I would say he has the best forehand in the world and his serve has improved a lot. When he’s returning your second serve, he’s extremely dangerous. It’s tough when you play him, because he never gives up any room on the baseline and he’s tough to push back.

It’s really tough to get him moving and be the one being aggressive and dictating play, because he’s so high up on the baseline, which makes him very tricky. His serve has improved a lot and his backhand [has as well], so he’s very solid. Also, when he has a bit of time on his forehand, he’s tough and very accurate.

Matteo Berrettini
Matteo has a huge serve, he can hit all the spots. He maybe has the best second serve in the world and he’s tricky as well. When he’s got time on the forehand [he can hit huge] and he can mix in the drop shot off the backhand as well to throw you off on both sides, the backhand as well. I think he covers his backhand quite well and mixes in his slice quite a lot to neutralise the point and then use his forehand to dictate play from there.

He’s a great athlete and he competes very well. I spent a bit of time with him at Laver Cup and watching his matches, he was always playing the biggest points of the match on his terms and coming up with some very good stuff. He is also a pretty complete player.

Hubert Hurkacz
I actually haven’t seen Hubi too much, so I can’t comment that much. But he’s got an exceptional serve and he plays a little bit like Medvedev in my opinion. He uses the slice quite well and comes forward a little bit more than Medvedev.

His backhand is tricky because it’s tough to read. He can switch [down the] line and hit the inside-out backhand at times. I haven’t played him before, I haven’t practised too much with him, but he’s had an incredible year and definitely deserves to be in this event.

Casper Ruud
Casper has proven he can play on all surfaces. His ball speed is very heavy and his forehand is great. He can get away from rallying too much with his backhand by using his movement. He can get around his backhand with his forehand side and he can hit all parts of the court with the forehand.

He has a pretty good slice as well and finds the court quite deep with the slice and is a great competitor all around. He’s had a very consistently good year, going deep on all surfaces, in all events. He also deserves to be here. He’s had a great year.

Jannik Sinner
I always try to practise with him as much as I can. He hits the ball bigger than anyone off both sides. I think he moves very well and he is always planting off the outside leg, so he can recover from his strokes very efficiently. It’s tough because he hits the ball so big that you can’t get much rhythm.

Getting him moving is tricky. He takes the cover off the ball on both sides. I think he hits the ball probably one of the biggest in the world off both sides. His ball speed is probably the fastest in the world.

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Nitto's Mask Donation Strengthens Safety In Turin

  • Posted: Nov 15, 2021

Title sponsor Nitto is once again playing its part to safeguard the health and wellbeing of everyone on site at the Pala Alpitour for this year’s Nitto ATP Finals.

Japanese-based manufacturer Nitto has donated 12,000 masks to protect fans, players and staff during the tournament, which is being staged during the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are thankful that Nitto is providing masks for the Nitto ATP Finals for the second consecutive year, contributing to the safe operation of the event,” said Nitto ATP Finals Event Director Adam Hogg. “The masks and our other safety protocols help protect fans, players, staff and everyone involved in the tournament in its first edition at the Pala Alpitour.”

Everybody who received accreditation in Turin was given a mask on arrival. Nitto, which is the Official Tape manufacture of the ATP Tour, is also providing tape and other products for physios to use on players at the season finale, which is taking place in Italy for the first time.

Nitto is the tournament’s title sponsor until 2025. They provided 8,000 masks at last year’s event at The O2 in London.

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Rublev Scores Statement Tsitsipas Win In Turin

  • Posted: Nov 15, 2021

Andrey Rublev stormed back to his winning ways on Monday against Stefanos Tsitsipas, after serving up a 6-4, 6-4 victory to start his Nitto ATP Finals campaign. 

It’s a statement win for Rublev, who arrived in Turin struggling to regain his world-beating form in recent weeks. The Russian, who had lost five of his past seven matches, was at his heavy-hitting best and he didn’t face a break point as he defeated Tsitsipas in an hour and 30 minutes.

“I think these are the moments that we are practising for, that we are living for: to be here and to enjoy this atmosphere, to play great tennis and for the spectators to enjoy,” Rublev said in an on-court interview. “[All] I could do my best today, I did and I’m really happy.”

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Rublev dominated the contest with strong serving. He rained down big first serves all evening long, winning 90 per cent (36/40) of points behind his first delivery – the Russian usually averages around 56 per cent. As a result, he rarely allowed Tsitsipas a look at his vulnerable second serve, and didn’t face a break point across either sets.

“When you serve good, it’s always the key,” Rublev said. “But it was not even just the serve. I was returning really aggressive, from the baseline I was also really aggressive. Today I played a great match and I’m really happy.”  

[WATCH LIVE 1]

In a pre-tournament interview, Rublev admitted that nerves played a factor in last year’s lacklustre Nitto ATP Finals debut, when he dropped his first two group stages matches – including a defeat to Tsitsipas – before claiming his lone win in London. One year later, Rublev drew from that experience and settled into the match from the first point. The fifth seed broke serve once in each set to claim his revenge against Tsitsipas. 

Rublev looked to be enjoying the quicker conditions in Turin – four of his eight career ATP titles have come at similar indoor hard-courts events, including his lone trophy of the season at Rotterdam in March. 

The victory for Rublev ties Djokovic at the top of the Green Group, with each player level at a win apiece.

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Felix Cracks The Top 10: ’Hard Work Can Pay Off’

  • Posted: Nov 15, 2021

Felix Auger-Aliassime has been under the spotlight since breaking onto the ATP Challenger Tour aged 14. On Monday, the Canadian reached the next milestone on his journey when he cracked the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time.

World No. 10 Auger-Aliassime made clear early in the year that breaking into the Top 10 was one of his goals for 2021. And after reaching the Stockholm semi-finals last week, he achieved the feat.

“It is very big. It was one of my goals at the start of this year. I had to go from far as I was No. 21 in the world, so it wasn’t a given that I would finish inside the Top 10,” Auger-Aliassime told ATPTour.com. “It was also down to circumstances… But it’s tennis, it is what it is. For my part, I’m happy with the progress that I have made this year and where my level is at. I’m happy with this milestone is now behind me and I am a part of the Top 10.”

Felix first reached the Top 20 in August 2019, just after his 19th birthday. Some of his big accomplishments since include reaching this year’s US Open semi-finals and Wimbledon quarter-finals. He has advanced to eight ATP Tour championship matches.

“It’s always good to check off goals on my bucket list as a young player. Of course, the Top 100 for the first time, then I got rapidly into the Top 20. For me, it was kind of like, ‘When will the Top 10 come?’” Auger-Aliassime said. “Sometimes it goes fast, other times it takes longer than you think.

“But I’m happy this year I was able to make it, especially after the US Open I had, and also Wimbledon. I felt like maybe, ‘I’ve got a shot at this before the finishing the year’.”

There has been plenty of pressure on the Canadian since March 2015, when at the age of 14 he became the youngest player to qualify for a main draw in ATP Challenger Tour history. The determined Auger-Aliassime has successfully navigated challenges in his path and emerged with big wins against the likes of Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Stefanos Tsitsipas. In Stockholm, he claimed his 100th tour-level victory.

“It was not always easy at different stages of my young career. I’ve had to talk to my team and to myself and see how I [would] deal with this,” Auger-Aliassime said. “But at the end of the day, it has always come back to what is important in the day-to-day, focussing on the present and I think I’ve been able to follow my path. I have kept it in my own rhythm.

“Sometimes it went faster than I thought, sometimes things took a little bit longer, but in the end good things happen I guess when you follow your plan and do good work. It’s good proof that hard work can pay off.”

Did You Know?
Auger-Aliassime, 21, is the youngest player in the Top 10 by more than 20 months. Casper Ruud, who turns 23 in December, is second-youngest.

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ATP Statement Regarding Peng Shuai

  • Posted: Nov 15, 2021

Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman: “There is nothing more important to us than the safety of our tennis community. We have been deeply concerned by the uncertainty surrounding the immediate safety and whereabouts of WTA player Peng Shuai. We are encouraged by the recent assurances received by WTA that she is safe and accounted for and will continue to monitor the situation closely. Separately, we stand in full support of WTA’s call for a full, fair and transparent investigation into allegations of sexual assault against Peng Shuai.”

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