It has not been the best year for Alexander Zverev, but it's still not too late for the German to turn things around. The defending champion of the year-ending championships, Zverev holds the key to his own fate in London.
The 22-year-old has defeated the Big Three in succession at the ATP Finals, with Rafael Nadal being his latest victim in the opening round of the ATP World Tour Finals. To book a slot in the semi-finals, Zverev now has to overcome the challenge of rising Russian player Daniil Medvedev.
There are many things to consider when Zverev takes the court on Friday night. If he manages to win against Medvedev, he will go into the semifinals irrespective of Nadal's result against Stefanos Tsitsipas. And if he loses, he could still progress as long as Nadal fails to defeat Tsitsipas too.
Medvedev on his part has been in a strange slump at this tournament, and is yet to register a win. After winning four titles in 2019 there were a lot of expectations from the Russian in London, but he has failed to deliver on those.
Zverev has the edge over Medvedev in the head-to-head, having defeated him in four out of five matches. However, it was an entirely different story in the Rolex Shanghai Masters final, where Medvedev crushed Zverev to bag the title.
It has been a surreal year for the Russian so far and if things start clicking for him, he could become a dangerous player again. Medvedev needs to defeat Zverev in straight sets and hope that Nadal loses to Tsitsipas to have any chance of progressing to the semis.
It promises to be a thriller of a Friday at the O2 Arena, with the fate of the semi-finalists remaining undecided till the ninth hour.
While it will be a welcome breather for Zverev if he manages to defeat Medvedev and in the process oust World No. 1 Nadal, the Russian player could also pull off a surprise win and make it to his maiden semis at the ATP Finals.
Here are all the details you need to know about the Nitto ATP Finals 2019
Tournament Name: Nitto ATP Finals 2019
Date: 10 November - 17 November 2019
Category: Year-ending championships
Location: London, United Kingdom
Venue: The O2 Arena
Prize Money: US$9,000,000
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Schedule: (4) Daniil Medvedev v (7) Alexander Zverev on Centre Court at 1:30 A.M IST, 16 November 2019
Where to watch Nitto ATP Finals 2019 in India?
The Nitto ATP Finals 2019 will be telecast on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD.
Live stream details for Nitto ATP Finals 2019
Nitto ATP Finals 2019 live stream is available on Tennis TV (a subscription is needed for the service).
Sony Liv will also be broadcasting the matches.