Ultimate Tennis Showdown: Zverev vs. Auger-Aliassime - the winner can choose the opponent
Alexander Zverev and Félix Auger-Aliassime will join Ultimate Tennis Showdown 2 this Saturday. Without much pressure. The direct duel is all about being able to choose your opponent for the semi-finals.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Aug 01, 2020, 06:52 am
Only the doubles are spoiled for choice on the regular ATP tour: after all tournaments apart from the Grand Slams are played in pairs with the no-ad rule, the returning couple can decide who to serve. I can, maybe even better, Patrick Mouratoglou thought, as so often, and simply decided for the Ultimate Tennis Showdown that the winner of the Saturday evening game between Alexander Zverev and Félix Auger-Aliassime for the semi-finals on Saturday can choose his opponent.
Well, from group A it will be either Richard Gasquet or Feliciano Lopez. The two veterans won their first two group games last weekend and, in a direct duel, determine who can be selected by Zverev or Auger-Aliassime. In group B, all four participants still have the chance to win the group under certain conditions: Fernando Verdasco, Benoit Paire, Corentin Moutet and also Dustin Brown, who after two matchdays had the worst quarter ratio in last place. However, like all other three opponents with one win and one defeat.
Zverev favorite against Auger-Aliassime
In any case, Zverev is the clear favorite in the game with the Canadian. He won both matches on the ATP tour (2019 in Monte Carlo and Beijing). However, as is known, special rules apply at UTS, the game is played in four quarters of ten minutes each, in the event of a tie, a sudden death or two decides.
The German number one has been training in Monte Carlo for the past few days, it will be interesting to see whether David Ferrer will come to the Mouratoglou Academy alongside Zverev. Auger-Aliassime, on the other hand, has been training there for weeks and should have started at the first edition of the showdown. As so often, the youngster's body went on strike again.