A pair of ATP 250 finals will probably be contested on Saturday earlier than the Australian Open will get underway on Sunday. They’re going down in Auckland and Adelaide.
Listed below are my previews and picks for the 2 matchups.
Auckland: (Q) Zizou Bergs vs. Gael MonfilsMonfils is enjoying in his thirty fifth ATP remaining; Bergs is enjoying in his first. However is expertise actually an enormous issue going into the ASB Traditional championship match? Possibly not. In spite of everything, the 38-year-old Frenchman is simply 12-22 all time in ATP finals.
It is a nice alternative for Bergs, who has regarded like the very best participant all through the week in Auckland. The 66th-ranked Belgian has gained six matches–two in qualifying and 4 in the principle draw. He seems to be bodily fitter than Monfils and likewise performs extra offense, which is able to inflict extra bodily injury on the veteran. I’m going with Bergs for a minor upset, giving him his first ATP title.
Adelaide: (5) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. (2) Sebastian KordaKorda and Auger-Aliassime will probably be going through one another for the fourth time in Saturday’s Adelaide Worldwide remaining. The top-to-head collection stands at 2-1 in favor of Auger-Aliassime, who has earned each of his wins on exhausting courts (one indoors, one outdoor). Korda received the job performed on the pink clay of Estoril three years in the past.
This difficult-court match, nonetheless, ought to go in Korda’s path. He’s a former runner-up in Adelaide, having come inside one level of upsetting Novak Djokovic for the 2023 title earlier than falling 6-7(8), 7-6(4), 6-4. The Twenty second-ranked American is effectively rested (he has performed solely two matches this week) and has not dropped serve a single time. That may put plenty of strain on Auger-Aliassime, who did effectively to beat Tommy Paul within the semis–nevertheless it was removed from a very good match for both participant.
Choose: Korda in 3
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and likewise maintains his personal tennis web site, The Grandstand. You’ll be able to observe him on Twitter at @Dimonator.
