In Turin, the ATP Tour Finals begin with a high-stakes Round 1 encounter pitting two top-ten giants against each other-Russia's Daniil Medvedev and the United States' Taylor Fritz. Set amidst an electrifying indoor hard-court atmosphere, both players look forward to rebounding after recent defeats and the important first win in Group A. No. 4-ranked Medvedev brings mixed form into this match, while world No. 6 Fritz tries to capitalize on the lapses from Medvedev and establish tactical strengths of his own.
Click for Welcome BonusMatch Preview
Medvedev leads a tight head-to-head against Fritz, 2-1, coming out on top of the last meeting at the 2023 World Tennis League. Both players come in from losses in Paris; Medvedev lost to Popyrin, while Fritz lost to Draper. Clearly battling double faults and loss of rhythm with his serve, Medvedev will need to become sharper in approach, particularly on second serves. Fritz, coming off an astonishing 93% second-serve win against Draper, brings a nice combination of power and precision into the match that could put Medvedev off his stride, especially if he continues to perform well with his second serve like he has over late times.
Tactical Approach
Daniil Medvedev: The only more eccentric approach in the game belongs to one person, and it is very usual to see how Medvedev's unique defensive baseline approach often forces opponents into mistakes. Success against the likes of aggressive players such as Fritz a lot on how well he is able to return deep into their side of the court and neutralize the dominance of Fritz's serve. Still, Medvedev has recently struggled with his second serves, winning merely 40%, this could get him exposed to high-powered returns from Fritz. He will most probably stay with his key principle of minimalizing errors and using his endurance to see the rallies out longer, trying to suck Fritz in for longer baseline exchanges, where his consistency is right at his best.
Taylor Fritz: The game of Fritz is based on aggressive, flat shots that can dominate on fast surfaces. His serve will be his biggest weapon, especially given Medvedev's current vulnerability on second-serve returns. If Fritz can keep his break-point save rate as high as 77%, the way he did in his last match, he will be putting pressure on Medvedev all the time by keeping the rallies short. Fritz's tactical priority will be to dictate early in points with his forehand, not to get into the long exchanges of rallies, and to attack any second serve that Medvedev offers.
Expert Betting Tips
This match will depend on how well Medvedev is able to regain his baseline defensive solidity against the attacking serve-based game of Fritz. Current form leaves Medvedev exposed, none more so than from a three-match losing streak and from the decline in success on second serves. The route to victory is clear if Fritz can take full advantage of Medvedev's double faults and struggles on second serve. If, however, Medvedev can find himself in rhythm and regularly extend the rallies, then his superior endurance and tactical patience may well flip the momentum.
- Over 22.5 Games @ 1.58 Odds
- Over 23.5 Games @ 1.85 Odds
- Taylor Fritz Wins @ 2.20 Odds
Other predictions
