The winner will be in a strong position to advance to the semifinals, and may even qualify today based on the result of Wednesday’s other singles match.
Djokovic or Medvedev can qualify today in the following scenarios:
- If Djokovic wins and Schwartzman wins, Djokovic qualifies.
- If Djokovic wins in straights sets and Zverev wins in three sets, Djokovic qualifies.
- If Medvedev wins and Zverev wins, Medvedev qualifies.
- If Medvedev wins and Schwartzman wins in three sets, Medvedev qualifies.
In any other scenario, both qualifiers in Group Tokyo will be determined on Friday.
Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Daniil Medvedev (4)
Djokovic is 4-2 against Medvedev, though Daniil has claimed two of their last three encounters. And Novak’s first two victories occurred in 2017, before Medvedev developed into a top player. Last summer in Cincinnati, the Russian was down a set and a break before he decided to start pummeling the ball, which resulted in a comeback victory. At the beginning of this year at the ATP Cup, they played one of the best matches of that inaugural event, with the Serbian surviving a near-three-hour affair 6-4 in the third. Medvedev’s 29-3 hard court run was last year’s most impressive streak in the men’s game. But until 10 days ago in Bercy, the 24-year-old hadn’t won a title this season, or even reached a final. And Novak’s overall record of 40-3 has no equal in 2020. So while this should be an entertaining battle, Djokovic should be favored to go 2-0 in Group Tokyo.
Sascha Zverev (5) vs. Diego Schwartzman (8)
These two have split their four previous meetings. However, on both the occasions they’ve played on indoor hard courts, Zverev has been victorious. And neither of those matches have been close. Two years ago at the Paris Masters, Sascha won 6-4, 6-2. And last month in Cologne, Zverev won even more convincingly: 6-2, 6-1. Schwartzman though did claim their most prominent match, in the fourth round of last year’s US Open. Sascha has been serving extremely well of late, at least until Monday’s opening match against Medvedev when his double faults returned. He struck seven doubles and just three aces in a straight set loss. If his double faults outnumber his aces again today, that could be trouble against one of the sport’s best returners. But on an indoor hard court, the 2018 champion remains the favorite against the ATP Finals debutante.
Doubles Matches on Day 4:
Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares (1) vs. Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos (4). The winning team will take a commanding lead in Group Bob Bryan.
John Peers and Michael Venus (6) vs. Jurgen Melzer and Edouard Roger-Vasselin (7). These two teams met earlier this year in Dubai, with Peers and Venus prevailing in straight sets.
Full order of play is here.
