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Overview

The typical complications of round-robin tennis mean by this stage of the ATP Finals we’re often left scratching our heads, searching around for a calculator and trying to work out the mind-boggling potential outcomes for advancement. However tonight’s match between Alexander Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime, mercifully, is simple. It's a direct elimination: the successful player secures a semi-final contest against Alcaraz at this year-end tournament; the defeated player is eliminated.

Zverev is the favourite for this: the elite athlete is the more experienced competitor, has previously won at this tournament twice before and leads their head-to-head 6-3, having won both their previous matches on an indoor hard court.

But … this is the surface on which Felix has secured most of his championships, he’s riding a high after his remarkable turnaround against Ben Shelton on midweek and he took out Zverev in the US Open third round in late summer. Furthermore, the court pace is quicker in the host city than at Flushing Meadows, which works even more in Auger-Aliassime's favour.

If Zverev holds back, similar to his performance against the Italian, and Auger-Aliassime takes it to the German with his stinging serves and fearless play, it might very well be the young Canadian – the one-time phenom who was earlier slated in front of the younger champions to take over from the tennis icons – who earns the uncertain distinction of facing the world No 1 the next day.

The match starts: at about 8.30pm local time, 7.30pm GMT.