Nitto ATP Finals 2020: Daniil Medvedev vs Alexander Zverev preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (4) Daniil Medvedev vs (5) Alexander Zverev
Date: 16 November 2020
Tournament: Nitto ATP Finals 2020
Round: Round-robin stage
Venue: London, United Kingdom
Category: ATP Finals
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Prize money: $5,700,000
Match timing: 8 pm GMT, 1.30 AM IST (November 17)
Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel | India - Sony / Sony Liv
Daniil Medvedev vs Alexander Zverev preview
A week after locking horns in the Paris Masters final, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev are all set to meet again at the ATP Finals on Monday.
Alexander Zverev has had a spectacular time on the court since the resumption of the tour, with the only blot on an otherwise fabulous stretch being his opening-round loss to Andy Murray at the Cincinnati Masters. After that defeat, the German went on to reach the US Open final as well as the fourth round of the French Open.
When the tour moved to indoor hardcourts, the 23-year-old simply went on a tear. He won back-to-back titles at home in Cologne, and looked like the favorite to win the Paris Masters too.
It took a resurgent Daniil Medvedev and his mind-blowing defense to bring an end to Zverev's winning streak, as he beat him 5-7, 6-4, 6-1. And the Russian will be hoping to do more of the same at the ATP Finals too.
Daniil Medvedev has actually struggled to match the highs of his breakthrough 2019 for most of this year. The only notable results for the World No. 4 prior to the Paris Masters were a semifinal at the US Open and another at the ATP Cup.
However, everything changed in the final Masters 1000 event of the year. Showing flashes of the form that took him to the 2019 US Open final, Medvedev won his first title of 2020 in some style.
The Russian came back from a set down against the in-form Alex de Minaur in the third round to win 5-7, 6-2, 6-2. He only got better from there, dusting off Diego Schwartzman in the quarters before dousing the big serve of Milos Raonic in the semis and outlasting Zverev in the final.
The run in Paris was the best preparation Daniil Medvedev could have asked for before taking on the creme de la creme of the sport in London.
Daniil Medvedev vs Alexander Zverev head-to-head
Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev have squared off seven times, with the German holding a 5-2 lead in the head-to-head.
While Zverev dominated the early part of their rivalry, winning four matches in a row, Medvedev has won two out of the last three. And both of those wins have come in the final of an ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
At Shanghai last year, the Russian blew away Zverev 6-4, 6-1 to register his first-ever win over the German. Medvedev's second win, of course, was in their most recent encounter at the Paris Masters.
Zverev's last win over Medvedev incidentally came at the ATP Finals in 2019, where he edged the fourth-ranked player 6-4, 7-6(4).
Daniil Medvedev vs Alexander Zverev prediction
Alexander Zverev was in sterling form throughout his Paris Masters campaign. Apart from a tough battle against Adrian Mannarino, the German didn't lose a set all the way till the final.
However, it was that physical match against Mannarino, coupled with a thigh injury, that came back to haunt him during against Daniil Medvedev. The World No. 7 had nothing left in the tank when the match got stretched to a decider. And Medvedev didn't waste the opportunity to run away with the final set, registering a 6-1 blowout.
Zverev's injury still remains a concern. Even though the German has said he should be fine to play on Monday, Medvedev is not the easiest opponent to face under such circumstances.
The Russian's defense is one of the best in the game, and he will once again look to tire out the 23-year-old. If Zverev can't find his big serves and his aggressive game right from the start, the confident Medvedev could certainly make it two wins in a row over the 2018 champion.
Prediction: Daniil Medvedev to win in three sets.