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Preamble

The occupational hazards of round-robin tennis often result in at this point of the ATP Finals fans frequently find themselves confused, searching around for a calculator and trying to work out the complex potential outcomes for advancement. But this evening's contest between Alexander Zverev and Auger-Aliassime, mercifully, is simple. It’s a straight shootout: the winner earns a semifinal battle against Carlos Alcaraz at this year-end tournament; the unsuccessful competitor heads out.

The German is the frontrunner for this: the third-ranked player is the player with greater achievements, has claimed the title at this tournament previously on two instances 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.

Yet … this type of playing field on which Felix has secured most of his championships, he is full of confidence after his remarkable turnaround against Ben Shelton on midweek and he eliminated the German in the US Open early stage in late summer. Furthermore, conditions are faster in Turin than at the US Open venue, which provides an additional advantage in AA’s benefit.

Should Zverev be cautious, as he did against Sinner, and Felix aggressively challenges the German with his powerful serves and fearless play, it might very well be the young Canadian – the former prodigy who was previously positioned before the younger champions to replace the Big Three – who secures the dubious honour of playing against the world No 1 on Saturday.

Play begins: at about 8.30pm local time, 7:30 PM in the UK.