Ricky’s pick for the Nitto ATP Finals round robin: Medvedev vs. Zverev

Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev will be squaring off for the 18th time in their careers when they meet again during round-robin competition at the Nitto ATP Finals on Wednesday night.

The head-to-head series stands at 10-7 in favor of Medvedev, who has won four of their five 2023 encounters. He prevailed in three sets at Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Monte-Carlo, won in straights at the Rome Masters, lost in three at the Cincinnati Masters, and got the job done 6-4, 6-3 earlier this fall in Beijing.

Medevedev has to be considered the favorite once again based on his past success against Zverev and his current form. The world No. 3 has posted runner-up finishes this fall in Beijing and Shanghai (both to Jannik Sinner) and he was especially impressive during a 6-4, 6-2 romp over fellow Russian Andrey Rublev on Monday.

That’s not to say Zverev should be discounted. The 26-year-old German is a two-time champion of this tournament and he opened with a three-set victory over Carlos Alcaraz on Monday. Still, the quality of that contest was not the same as what was on display from Medvedev.

Look for Turin’s third seed to reach 2-0 for the week and take control of the Red Group.

Pick: Medvedev in 2

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.