US Open 2021: Alexander Zverev vs Jannik Sinner preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (6) Alexander Zverev vs (13) Jannik Sinner

Date: 6 September 2021

Tournament: US Open 2021

Round: Fourth round (Round of 16)

Venue: New York, United States

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $40,560,000

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - BBC TV & Radio | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

Alexander Zverev vs Jannik Sinner preview

The fourth round of the 2021 US Open will see two of the game's biggest ball-strikers - Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner - lock horns on Monday.

Playing in the night session at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday, Zverev survived a bit of a scare. The German found himself a set down against an inspired Jack Sock, who fired up the home crowd with his blazing start.

The American, however, could not sustain his momentum for long, and an upper right leg injury forced him to retire at the start of the fourth set. By then, Zverev had taken a two sets to one lead.

Sinner came through a five-set battle in his last match.

Jannik Sinner, meanwhile, had to battle hard himself to secure his spot in the last-16. The Italian youngster came through a thrilling five-set win over Gael Monfils on Saturday, prevailing 6-4 in the decider.

Sinner has been made to work in all of his matches this week, but has managed to impress with his ability to step up in the crunch moments. The 20-year-old's strong return has been a highlight so far, and he will again need to come up with the goods on that shot against a big server like Zverev.

Alexander Zverev vs Jannik Sinner head-to-head

Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner have split their previous two meetings, so their current head-to-head stands at a 1-1 deadlock. Zverev has won their only match on hardcourts, with a close scoreline of 7-6(3), 6-3.

Alexander Zverev vs Jannik Sinner prediction

Alexander Zverev has won the duo's only prior meeting on hardcourts.

Both Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner have produced some great tennis this week in New York, so we could be in for a highly entertaining fourth-round encounter.

Zverev hasn't been tested as much as his opponent, but he did manage to come back strong after dropping the first set against Sock in his last match. The German has now won 14 matches in a row on hardcourt, and is looking in ominous form.

The fourth-round contest will pit the big Zverev serve against Sinner's returning prowess, and the winner of that mini-battle could well be the deciding factor. Zverev pocketed an incredible 90% of his first-serve points in his two completed matches, and more strong serving numbers on Monday could bolster his chances of a win.

Sinner on his part has been a little off-target with his backhand of late, and Zverev is likely to go after that shot. The World No. 4 is a great frontrunner, so Sinner will need to ensure that he maintains scoreboard pressure throughout. Conceding an early lead could well end up proving disastrous for the Italian in such a tight match-up.

Prediction: Alexander Zverev to win four sets.