Paolo Bertolucci believes Novak Djokovic is the "man to beat" in Turin, Corrado Barazzutti feels Paris triumph has given the Serb "total confidence"
Former Italian tennis professionals Paolo Bertolucci and Corrado Barazzutti believe Novak Djokovic is the firm favorite for the upcoming ATP Finals in Turin. However, Bertolucci and Barazzutti both reckon Daniil Medvedev could pose a big threat to the Serb.
The World No. 1 accounted for Medvedev in the final of the Paris Masters, coming from a set down to beat the Russian in three sets and exact revenge for his US Open final loss.
Djokovic is a five-time champion at the ATP Finals but has not lifted the title since 2015. In fact, the Serb has made the summit clash just twice since then (2016 and 2018), while Medvedev comes into the tournament as the defending champion.
Bertolucci, a former Davis Cup winner, feels Djokovic is the man to beat given his pedigree on faster surfaces. However, he cautioned that the Serb could slip up due to the fact that matches at the ATP Finals will be best-of-three.
"Djokovic, as always in recent years, is the man to beat on faster courts and he will be in Turin," Paolo Bertolucci said to Adnkronos. "However, the fact that he plays two sets out of three makes him less favored than the three out of five. The games become faster and therefore more unpredictable."
According to the 70-year-old, Medvedev is likely to be Djokovic's biggest threat at the event.
"The most dangerous rival of the Serbian will be Medvedev who has already shown that he can beat him in New York," Bertolucci continued. "The Russian only lacks the consistency to be able to be on par with the Serbian but he has very remarkable peaks. On his day he is almost unbeatable."
Former World No. 7 Corrado Barazzutti also gave his thoughts on Djokovic's prospects at the ATP Finals. Speaking to Sportface, Barazzutti said the Serb would have been the "big favorite" in Turin regardless of his title in Paris-Bercy.
The 68-year-old, however, feels Djokovic's triumph over Medvedev at the Paris Masters would have helped him regain the confidence he might have lost after the US Open final.
“Djokovic is presented in Turin as the big favorite, after the success at Bercy," Barazzutti said. "He would have been anyway, but the victory in Paris gave him that total confidence, perhaps a little undermined by the defeat at the US Open."
The former Roland Garros semifinalist pointed out that Djokovic will enter the ATP Finals well-rested, as he gave himself an extended break following the US Open.
"Plus he is rested, because after New York he took almost two months off, regenerating his muscles and head," added the Italian.
According to Barazzutti, Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and Matteo Berrettini will be the toughest opponents for Djokovic in Turin.
"To give the Serbian a hard time, I see three players: first of all Medvedev, who is the defending champion and two months ago won his first Grand Slam; Zverev, who is finding continuity in the big tournaments and is always at least in the semifinals; finally our Berrettini," Barazzutti said.
"Federer and Nadal's absence is unfortunate, but it is normal, let's enjoy Novak Djokovic again" - Paolo Bertolucci
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will miss the ATP Finals this year as they continue to recover from their respective injuries. This will mark only the second occasion in which both Federer and Nadal do not feature at the year-ending championships (2016 was the first time).
When asked to comment on their absence, Paolo Bertolucci lamented the fact that the pair's physical problems have curtailed their playing time in recent months.
The Italian pointed out that past champions such as Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, and Pete Sampras also gradually reduced their playing time as they grew older. As such, he believes fans should enjoy the time Novak Djokovic has left on tour.
"They (Federer and Nadal) are two extraordinary champions and much loved by the public but the years pass for everyone and physical ailments are making them less competitive," Bertolucci explained.
"Their absence is unfortunate but it is normal. We will have to get used to seeing them less and less but it has already happened with champions like Borg , McEnroe, Sampras etc etc ... Let's enjoy Djokovic again and above all let's cross our fingers for our Berrettini (at the ATP Finals)."