The ATP Tour Finals continue on Tuesday, November 12, with Group Bjorn Borg in action again, and you can get the preview of Novak Djokovic v Dominic Thiem, & Roger Federer v Matteo Berrettini along with tips and predictions below.
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Novak Djokovic v Dominic Thiem Predictions & Preview
Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem meet for the tenth time in their career. Djokovic leads the head- to- head 6-3, with all of Thiem’s wins coming on clay, twice at the French Open (2019 & 2017) and at Monte Carlo last year. They have not played on the hard indoor courts since they met here in 2016, which was won by Djokovic. Austrian Thiem has come a long way since then, with his overall game, and on the faster surfaces in particular.
Five- time winner Novak Djokovic began his quest for a sixth title and a sixth year end number one ranking with a crushing 6-2, 6-1 win over Tour Finals debutante Matteo Berrettini. Winner of the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles this year, Djokovic put any concerns around his fitness and form to rest with a convincing Paris Masters title victory week before last and carried that form through his opening match here as well. The Serb will be looking at nothing less than a title run here to oust Rafael Nadal as current world number one.
Dominic Thiem making his fourth appearance at the Tour Finals has had a sensational year, with five titles to his name, where he is tied with Djokovic for most silverware for the year thus far. While he had a customary strong season on clay, the Austrian also won three titles on the faster hard courts and indoor surfaces, doing wonders for his confidence ahead of a tournament like this.
Thiem has never been past the round robin stages here and nor has he ever won his opener. A strong display on all fronts by him earned him a 7-5, 7-5 win against six time winner Roger Federer on the first day of Group Borg matches putting himself in a strong position to qualify for the final four. It was his third win for Thiem in three meetings this year against Federer, two of which have come on the faster surfaces here and at Indian Wells.
The recent matches between these two players have been high intensity with a lot of phenomenal rallies and shot making and this one promises to be no less. Thiem will be confident after the Federer victory and if in his zone, will not be an easy opponent, as Djokovic will be only too aware of. However, the Serbian brings his best game at this arena and has looked clinically flawless at the latter stages in Paris as well as in his opener here.
Expect Djokovic to win in two well-fought sets.
Tip: Djokovic to win in straight sets: 8/13 (Click here to get these odds with Unibet)
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Roger Federer v Matteo Berrettini Predictions & Preview
Roger Federer and Matteo Berrettini have met once before in their careers, at Wimbledon this year which was won by Federer extremely convincingly. At that point in time, no one would have expected to see the Italian Berrettini at the Tour Finals. However, that itself is an indicator that this time around, it will not be quite as straightforward for the Swiss Maestro.
In his 17th appearance at the Tour Finals, Switzerland’s Roger Federer lost his opener for the second year in a row. The world number three was defeated in straight sets by Austrian Dominic Thiem 7-5, 7-5 in what was a very convincing performance by Thiem.
Incidentally, this was Federer’s third loss this year to Thiem, having lost to him at Indian Wells and in Madrid. At the back of a good year overall, the Swiss was put on the backfoot early on by Thiem and despite a good recovery from Federer, his younger opponent played the key points considerably better. Federer now needs to win both his remaining matches in order to be in contention for the semi-finals.
In what has been a phenomenal second half of the year for him, young Italian Berrettini defied all odds to qualify for the Tour Finals. With titles in Budapest and Stuttgart, and semi-finals at the US Open, Shanghai and Vienna, the Italian has shown what he is capable of and is not one to be underestimated on these faster indoor surfaces.
Making his debut at the tournament in the opener against Novak Djokovic, Berrettini seemed overwhelmed by the occasion and was outplayed by a clinical display from the Serb. Like Federer, the Italian also needs to win his remaining matched to be in the running for the final four.
Federer has said it himself that he knows he has his work cut out here, and that Berrettini has been in good form and can be a dangerous opponent.
But, based on the first day of Group Bjorg, it seemed like Berrettini was still getting accustomed to the event and occasion, and Federer was just a little rusty with his timing. Expect a more clinical Roger Federer this time around, and that that should see him prevail in straight sets.
Tip: Federer to win in straight sets: 4/7 (Click here to get these odds with Unibet)
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