Key events
I’ve been enjoying the Paul Mescal-ification of the pre promo. Look at these fellas. Work it. That’s before we get to the short shorts.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the Inalpi Arena in Turin (by way of a sofa in south London) and the ATP World Tour Finals. We’ve got a week of top notch tennis in store as the eight best singles players in the world go squeaky sneakered toe to squeaky sneakered toe in northern Italy.
Novak Djokovic pulled out of the tournament last week with a decidedly vague “ongoing injury” and so there will be a new name on the trophy this year. Last year’s beaten finalist Jannik Sinner is the favourite to have his name etched into the silverware, the Italian numero uno and local favourite has dominated the men’s game this year, scooping both the Australian and US Open titles with his thrillingly pure ball striking and penchant for the big moment.
The curly fringed Italian’s year has not been without controversy though, an ongoing doping dispute still lingers and threatens to take the shine off a gilded twelve months that has already seen him confirmed as the number one ranked player in the men’s game come the end of the year.
Tonight’s opponent is Aussie Alex de Minaur, prince of the punishing rally and a dogged defender of the baseline who is capable of pilfering points against anyone on his day. He’ll need to be at his best to take down Sinner this evening, their ATP head to head reads seven to zilch in favour of the Italian.
We’ll get into all that and more over the next few hours, drop me a line at the email on the left tramline of this page if you are tuning in, I’ll be glad of your thwick thwocking thoughts and theories.
The match is due to start at 7.30pm GMT (ish).
