Sinner meets Shelton in day session

The last round-robin singles match at the Nitto ATP Finals will determine the last spot in the semi-finals, with Alexander Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime squaring off for second place in the Bjorn Borg Group.

Jannik Sinner, who is already confirmed as the group winner, will meet Ben Shelton in the afternoon session. The Italian will seek to improve his perfect record this week to 3-0 when he takes on the American, who is eliminated from semi-final contention.

A win-and-in doubles match will also take place Friday, with Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten playing Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic for a semi-final place. Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski will finish atop the Peter Fleming Group and will seek to complete a perfect round-robin campaign against Americans Christian Harrison and Evan King.

[3] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs. [8] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN)
Zverev walked off the court after his Wednesday defeat to Sinner happy with his performance but frustrated by his failure to take any of his seven break points. The Italian, by contrast, broke serve in both return games in which he created a break point.

"The score was 6-4, 6-3, but in my opinion, my humble opinion, I felt like the match was closer than the score maybe says," Zverev said. "I thought it was a very high-level match. I thought especially from the baseline we played very well."

After losing to Sinner for a third time in 17 days, Zverev was nonetheless motivated to set up another meeting with the home favourite. They could only meet again in the final: "I hope to see him again this week... It’s as simple as that," he said.

Zverev was particularly happy with his baseline game against Sinner, with the Italian remarking that both players were hitting fast and flat from the backcourt in the quick Turin conditions. Look for more of the same from Zverev as he tries to stop Auger-Aliassime from taking over the match with his big forehand.

The Canadian kept his semi-final hopes alive with a thrilling comeback against Shelton, coming within two points of defeat in a 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-5 victory. It was a Tour-leading 20th deciding-set win of the season for Auger-Aliassime.

As he worked his way into the match, the eighth seed dismissed any lingering concerns about an apparent calf problem he suffered in his opening defeat to Sinner: “I felt great, physically. We recovered well, did the right things,” said Auger-Aliassime. “I was able to play two-and-a-half hours of high-intensity tennis."

With both players in good form, this high-stakes showdown has all the makings of a Nitto ATP Finals classic. The pair's Lexus ATP Head2Head history adds to the intrigue: While Zverev leads the series 6-3, Auger-Aliassime produced an attacking masterclass in their most recent encounter on his way to the US Open semi-finals.

Jannik Sinner, Ben Shelton

[2] Jannik Sinner (ITA) vs. [5] Ben Shelton (USA)
Sinner has been pushed close in his two Turin wins, but the home favourite has yet to lose a set — or lose a service game — this week. His superiority in the key moments has been the difference.

"I felt like I was serving very well in important moments," Sinner said after saving seven break points against Zverev, according to Infosys ATP Stats. "I tried to play the best tennis possible when it mattered, which fortunately went my way."

With the serving ability of Shelton, this Friday showdown could once again be decided by narrow margins. That was certainly the case in the American's last outing against Auger-Aliassime, where the American was denied his first Nitto ATP Finals win in his Turin debut.

It All Adds Up

Knowing his 2025 season will be over after his matchup with Sinner, Shelton rated his year an eight out of 10, pointing to big improvements in his game and a strong season that faded following the US Open.

While he has not been able to produce his very best tennis in Turin, the American took the long view on his year after his defeat to Auger-Aliassime. 

“For me this week, it's been my forehand, which usually is a money shot for me, money-maker," he said. "The first ball after the serve, things that have been a little off that make it disappointing, [but] a lot of things to be happy about this season."

Shelton could have one more thing to be happy about if he can upset the World No. 1 on Friday. But Sinner will not earn ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF this season; Alcaraz clinched that distinction with his win against Lorenzo Musetti on Thursday.

Doubles Action
After a Match Tie-break defeat to Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski dropped them to 1-1 in Turin, second seeds Heliovaara and Patten face a must-win match against Arevalo and Pavic. The fourth seeds fought off two match points to defeat Americans Evan King and Christian Harrison in a Match Tie-break of their own on Wednesday, and will now hope to ride that momentum all the way to the semi-finals.

With first place in the Peter Fleming Group secured, fifth-seeded Britons Salisbury and Skupski will be playing for PIF ATP Doubles Rankings points and prize money when they meet King and Harrison, who will hope to end their season with a win.