Sinner Leads Blockbuster Start To Nitto ATP Finals Sunday

Home favourite Jannik Sinner will play in the first singles match of the Nitto ATP Finals on Sunday afternoon at the Pala Alpitour in Turin. The fourth seed will play Stefanos Tsitsipas before six-time season finale champion Novak Djokovic takes on eighth seed Holger Rune in the evening session.

Tsitsipas leads Sinner 5-2 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series. The pair has split two clashes this season, with Tsitsipas winning a five-setter at the Australian Open and Sinner earning his revenge in straight sets one month later in Rotterdam.

Djokovic will play Rune just two weeks after their memorable Rolex Paris Masters quarter-final. The World No. 1 emerged victorious after two hours and 55 minutes en route to capturing the title at the season’s final ATP Masters 1000 event. None of their four Lexus ATP Head2Head showdowns have ended in straight sets (series tied 2-2).

In doubles action, top seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek will face seventh seeds Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni in the afternoon, and fourth seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin will play fifth seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the evening.

ORDER OF PLAY – SUNDAY 12 NOVEMBER

Afternoon Session – Starts at 12 p.m.
(1) Ivan Dodig/Austin Krajicek vs. (7) Maximo Gonzalez/Andres Molteni
Not Before 2:30 p.m. – (4) Jannik Sinner vs. (6) Stefanos Tsitsipas

Evening Session – Not Before 6:30 p.m.
(4) Santiago Gonzalez/Edouard Roger-Vasselin vs. (5) Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos
Not Before 9 p.m. – (1) Novak Djokovic vs. (8) Holger Rune

On Monday afternoon, second seed Carlos Alcaraz will make his Nitto ATP Finals debut against a two-time winner of the season finale, Alexander Zverev. Alcaraz has won five consecutive sets in their Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry, which now stands at three matches each.

In a rematch of round-robin action from last year’s Nitto ATP Finals, third seed Daniil Medvedev will play fifth seed Andrey Rublev on Monday evening. Last year in Turin, Rublev triumphed in a final-set tie-break. However, Medvedev leads their series 6-2, including 2-0 this season.

Doubles second seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski will try to make a good start to their tournament Monday afternoon against eighth seeds Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler. Third seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden face defending champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury in the evening.

ORDER OF PLAY – MONDAY 13 NOVEMBER

Afternoon Session – Starts at 12 p.m.
(2) Wesley Koolhof/Neal Skupski vs. (8) Rinky Hijikata/Jason Kubler
Not Before 2:30 p.m. – (2) Carlos Alcaraz vs. (7) Alexander Zverev

Evening Session – Not Before 6:30 p.m.
(3) Rohan Bopanna/Matthew Ebden vs. (6) Rajeev Ram/Joe Salisbury
Not Before 9 p.m. – (3) Daniil Medvedev vs. (5) Andrey Rublev