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Introduction

The inherent challenges of group stage tennis typically lead to during this phase of the ATP World Tour Finals viewers are commonly confused, scrambling about for a computing device and trying to work out the brain-busting permutations of qualification. Yet tonight’s match between Alexander Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime, thankfully, is straightforward. It's a direct elimination: the winner earns a semifinal contest against Carlos Alcaraz at this championship finale; the loser heads out.

Zverev is the favourite for this: the world No 3 is the player with greater achievements, has been the champion at this tournament on two prior occasions and leads their head-to-head with six victories against three defeats, having won both the games they've played on an indoor hard court.

However … this particular court on which the Canadian has won the majority of his titles, he’s riding a high after his remarkable turnaround against Shelton on Wednesday and he defeated Zverev in the US Open third round in late summer. Furthermore, the court pace is quicker in the host city than at the US Open venue, which provides an additional advantage in AA’s benefit.

If the German player is reserved, similar to his performance against the Italian, and Auger-Aliassime takes it to the German with his stinging serves and confident shots, it could well be the North American athlete – the one-time phenom who was earlier slated in front of Alcaraz and Sinner to take over from the Big Three – who earns the uncertain distinction of facing the world No 1 the next day.

The match starts: at about 8.30pm local time, 7:30 PM in the UK.