Day 5 at the ATP Finals in Turin will see the conclusion of the green group, with everything still to play. No player is qualified yet, with Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune all having a real chance to qualify to the semifinals. It’s so tight at the moment that there’s a chance it might come down to game difference when all is said and done.
ATP World Tour Finals Day 5 Predictions
Jannik Sinner vs Holger Rune
Head-to-head: Rune 2-0 Sinner
This battle between two of the most talented young players on tour will have a lot riding on it, with both players still on the hunt for a semifinal spot. A win for Sinner would ensure him qualification and eliminate Rune, but a Rune win (which was the outcome of their previous two meetings) would really complicate things and could potentially eliminate Sinner depending on the result of Djokovic vs Hurkacz earlier in the day. Judging on recent form, Sinner should have the edge here, but he’s just had an excruciating battle against Novak Djokovic Tuesay and his fitness generally has some question marks. He’s also facing an opponent who he has never beaten before and who has shown huge signs of improvement in recent weeks; besides, while Sinner had a three-hour battle with the World #1, Rune played only three games against Tsitsipas and will certainly be much fresher. Rune might very well be able to pull through here.
Prediction: Rune in 3
Novak Djokovic vs Hubert Hurkacz
Head-to-head: Djokovic 6-0 Hurkacz
After losing to Sinner, Djokovic is in a situation where he needs to beat Hurkacz in two sets to ensure qualification. A three-set win or a loss would put him a Rune win over Sinner away from elimination. A fresh Hurkacz on this surface might be one of the worst opponents to face in this kind of scenario as his huge serve very often makes sets come down to tiebreaks, where a few points can decide the outcome. Besides, Djokovic has already played for more than six hours this week, while Hurkacz will be making his tournament debut. It will be very difficult for Djokovic to get the straight sets victory he needs to ensure qualification.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
Main Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
