ATP Finals, Group Stage, Friday, 18.11.2022
It’s all up for grabs at the ATP Finals in Turin: Who will secure the last few places for the semi-finals on the third matchday of the group stage? Novak Djokovic is through, Daniil Medvedev is out, we know that in the red group.
But what happens to Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas? These two have one win and one loss each on their account, which quickly makes it clear: Whoever wins the direct duel will be through! Which match do our bookmakers expect?
Happybet and Co. expect a close match with Greek advantages. In my Tsitsipas Rublev tip, I will now reveal why I also make this prediction and tend to trust the 2019 champion.
We wanted a heartbreak final, we get a heartbreak final! At least a temporary one, because first of all, it’s about the last place that is eligible for the semi-finals in the red group of the ATP Finals.
Stefanos Tsitsipas has fought hard for his chance. He had put up a very brave fight against Novak Djokovic in the opener, but still lost out in the end 4-6, 6-7.
A single break from the Serb was enough and Tsitsipas had to digest the narrow defeat. Against Daniil Medvedev, the fans experienced an even more exciting match, one that was only over in the third set.
On his own serve in the tiebreak, the Greek could have closed the bag with a 6-3, 7-6, but unnecessarily he let Medvedev come close again. The latter won 13-11, forcing extra time.
It came as it knew it would, once again the tiebreak would decide the match. This time, however, Tsitsipas did not let the butter be taken off his bread, pulled away with a 7:1 and deservedly collected his first win in the finals.
He gave his opponent only one chance to break, 87% won points on the first serve were really strong. A win against Daniil Medvedev at the unofficial World Tennis Championships? That should look familiar to the 24-year-old.
Three years ago, he also won against the Russian and in the end reached the semi-finals with two wins. The end of the song? Tsitsipas took home the title! Definitely not a bad omen for 2022, especially as his current opponent might suit him.
He leads the direct duel against Andrey Rublev 6:4 and has already celebrated two victories this year. Interestingly, this is the third time that the two players have met at the finals.
Rublev won once, Tsitsipas once! But I see the advantage for the Greek that he has already won the tournament once. Rublev, on the other hand, went home after the preliminary round in both 2020 and 2021.
A look at his results reveals that he is probably just behind Tsitsipas. The first match brought a 6-7 (7), 6-3, 7-6 (7) against Daniil Medvedev, exactly the same result as Tsitsipas recorded.
But Rublev had no chance against Novak Djokovic. 4-6, 1-6, the second set in particular made it clear that he could not perform at eye level here. Tsitsipas definitely cut the better figure in this duel.
Against Djokovic, Rublev did not have a single break chance, moreover, 65% won points on the first serve and even only 39% on the second serve are far too few. By comparison, Djokovic offered an incredible 94% on the first.
It might be nuances that lie between Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Both eked out a win against Daniil Medvedev, but had to let Novak Djokovic pass.
In my eyes, however, this might be where the slight difference lies. Tsitsipas held his own against Djokovic much more than Rublev, plus he has the advantage of having already won twice against the Russian in 2022.
While I expect a very close affair, given that Tsitsipas won the finals in 2019, including a win over Medvedev, I combine this good omen with recent performances and recommend the following tip:
Tsitsipas wins against Rublev!
