The third and final stage of round-robin action begins on Thursday in Turin.
In the Green Group, Jannik Sinner (2-0), Novak Djokovic (1-1), and Holger Rune (1-1) all still have a chance to qualify for Saturday’s semifinals, but none of them have guaranteed their spots just yet. On Thursday, Sinner takes on Rune, while Djokovic faces Hubert Hurkacz, who is replacing an injured Stefanos Tsitsipas as an alternate, though Hurkacz has no chance of advancing.
Here are Thursday’s advancement scenarios:
- Sinner and Djokovic advance if:
- Sinner defeats Rune (Djokovic/Hurkacz result does not matter in this case).
- Sinner and Rune advance if:
- Hurkacz defeats Djokovic, and Rune defeats Sinner.
- Djokovic defeats Hurkacz in three sets, and Rune defeats Sinner in two or three sets.
- Djokovic and Rune advance if:
- Djokovic defeats Hurkacz in two sets, and Rune defeats Sinner in two sets.
- Advancement will be determined by % of games won between Sinner, Djokovic, and Rune if:
- Djokovic defeats Hurkacz in two sets, and Rune defeats Sinner in three sets.
Each day, this preview will analyze the most intriguing matchup, while highlighting the other matches on the schedule. Thursday’s play begins at 12:00pm local time.
Jannik Sinner (4) vs. Holger Rune (8) – Not Before 9:00pm
Sinner is now 59-14 on the year overall, and 16-2 on indoor hard courts. His three-hour, three-set victory over Djokovic on Tuesday was the biggest win of his career to date, and showcases just how much his game and mentality have both improved this past year. Jannik is looking to advance to the semifinals of the ATP Finals in his first year officially qualifying, after playing as an alternate in 2021.
Rune is 44-23 this season, and received a retirement from Tsitsipas in the last round after just three games. Holger went through a really rough patch towards the end of this year, at a time when he wasn’t 100% physically, going 1-9 at one stretch. But with Boris Becker joining his coaching team, he’s now picked up six wins on indoor hard courts across the past month. Like Sinner, he’s vying to make the semifinals in his first year qualifying for this tournament.
Rune is 2-0 against Sinner, though both matches have been extremely close. Last fall on an indoor hard court in Sofia, Holger won 5-2 in the third as Jannik retired last in the match. And earlier this year on clay in Monte Carlo, Rune won 7-5 in the third. Yet based on each player’s form the last few months, Sinner is a considerable favorite to win, and thus secure his spot in the semifinals. But he cannot afford a letdown after his big, draining victory over Djokovic two days prior.
Other Notable Matches on Thursday:
Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek (1) vs. Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin (4) – Both teams are 1-1 through two stages of round-robin play, and the winning team on Thursday will advance, while the losing team will be eliminated.
Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Hubert Hurkacz (9) – Djokovic is 6-0 against Hurkacz, though their only previous meeting on an indoor hard court was a tight one. Two years ago at the Paris Masters, Nole required a third-set tiebreak to prevail.
Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos (5) vs. Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni (7) – Granollers and Zeballos are 2-0 and have already qualified for the semifinals. Gonzalez and Molteni are 0-2 and have already been eliminated, so this is a dead rubber.
Thursday’s full Order of Play is here.
