After what has been a thrilling week of tennis so far at the ATP Finals in the British capital, just four men remain in contention for the title. Not amongst them are world #1 Rafael Nadal and world #2 Novak Djokovic, both of whom saw their round-robin campaigns end in disappointment, whilst debutants Matteo Berrettini and Daniil Medvedev also failed to advance. But who will book their place in Sunday\u2019s showpiece final at the O2 Arena in London?<\/p>\n
Head-to-head: <\/strong>Federer 2-1 Tsitsipas<\/p>\n It has been a somewhat disappointing season for Roger Federer. The Swiss did win a Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open, but he failed to add to his Major tally, despite holding two championship points against Djokovic in the Wimbledon final. However, if he can end his season with a seventh triumph at the ATP Finals, that would surely go some way to alleviating that frustration. His form during the round robin suggested he might be able to do just that.<\/p>\n The Swiss did open his campaign with a 5-7 5-7 defeat at the hands of Dominic Thiem, but such has been the Austrian\u2019s form in London that there can be no shame in that loss. He rebounded impressively in his second match, beating first-time qualifier Berrettini in straight-sets to end the Italian\u2019s chances of reaching the last four. Then, in unquestionably his best performance of the week, he dismantled an out of sorts Djokovic<\/a> to eliminate the Serb and secure Nadal\u2019s hold on the year-end #1 ranking.<\/p>\n Tsitsipas, meanwhile, has enjoyed a fine debut at the ATP Finals. The Greek, who has established himself as a star of both today and the future, booked his passage into the semifinals in London with convincing victories over Medvedev and Zverev in his opening two matches. He did, however, prove unable to earn the distinction of going undefeated in the round robin, as Nadal rallied from a set down to inflict his first defeat of the week.<\/p>\n This will be the pair\u2019s fourth meeting, with all three previous matches having come in 2019. Tsitsipas won the first in superb fashion, announcing his arrival as a force to be reckoned with<\/a> in the men\u2019s game by beating Federer 6-7 7-6 7-5 7-6 in the fourth round at Melbourne Park. However, the world #3 has since avenged that defeat with comprehensive wins in Dubai and Basel, with Federer winning in straight-sets on both occasions<\/p>\n Against Djokovic, Federer delivered a serving masterclass and was regularly able to take the ball early and so take control of the rallies. It was a performance that has surely given Federer real confidence about his chances to win the title this week. Tsitsipas\u2019 all-court game should provide Federer with a different challenge and it should be noted that Djokovic was far from his best. But if Federer can recapture that level, it is hard to see Tsitsipas withstanding him.<\/p>\n Prediction: Federer in 3
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