Nitto ATP Finals round-robin preview and prediction: Rublev vs. Zverev

Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev will face off in the final round-robin match on Friday at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

All eyes will be on the first match of the afternoon in Turin. Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz will battle it out with a spot in the semifinals up for grabs for Alcaraz. Should the Spaniard win, both he and Medvedev will advance to the semis–leaving the Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev match a dead rubber. But if Medvedev wins, he will secure the No. 1 seed from the red group and Zverev will have a chance to advance if he prevails over Rublev.

This ATP Finals tournament hasn’t gone to plan for Rublev. The Russian, who has been sluggish the entire week, hasn’t won a single set this week. He goes into Friday’s match with no chance to advance; although if he wins he will pick up $390,000 USD and 200 ranking points–so he isn’t likely to just throw in the towel.

Of course, the same goes for Zverev. Even if it’s a dead rubber, expect the German to put in the effort.

Zverev hasn’t beaten Rublev since 2021, with the Russian taking their three latest matches. However, this is a golden opportunity for the German on a lightning-fast court–which suits his game. Expect a win for Zverev in this one regardless of if he is playing for the semifinals or just the ranking points and prize money.

Cheryl pick: Zverev in 2

Ricky pick: Zverev in 2

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