2020 Paris Masters Final – Alexander Zverev vs Daniil Medvedev Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
Where is Alexander Zverev vs Daniil Medvedev taking place? Palais omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris
When is Alexander Zverev vs Daniil Medvedev on and what time does it start? Sunday 8th November, 2020 – not before 13:00 (UK)
What surface is Alexander Zverev vs Daniil Medvedev being played on? Indoor hard
Where can I get tickets for Alexander Zverev vs Daniil Medvedev? No tickets are available as the 2020 Paris Masters will be played without spectators
What channel is Alexander Zverev vs Daniil Medvedev on? This match will not be televised live in the UK
Where can I stream Alexander Zverev vs Daniil Medvedev? Amazon Prime subscribers can stream the match live via their platform
THE PREDICTION
It will be third seed versus fourth when Daniil Medvedev meets Alexander Zverev for a seventh time in their careers on Sunday, with both players coming through tough semi-finals in straight sets. World number seven Zverev earns a special mention for beating the favourite for the Paris Masters final, Rafael Nadal, in a commanding display of focus that the German is wearing well in the late stage of this season. The 23-year-old seems to have benefitted greatly from his US Open final loss to Dominic Thiem back in September, and is now on a 12-match unbeaten streak following back-to-back titles in Cologne. Zverev has won three Masters titles in Spain, Canada and Italy and, notably, five ATP titles overall on indoor hard courts including the 2018 ATP Finals. That experience saw him beat Nadal for just a second time on Saturday and he will be an immovable object on Sunday with this new determination about him.
There are few players in the top 10 that could challenge Zverev in this mood, and in these conditions. Dominic Thiem is one, Nadal and Djokovic too, and Daniil Medvedev. The Russian dismantled a well-oiled machine in Milos Raonic in the earlier Saturday match and looked like he had an extra gear to reach in doing so. The 24-year-old has three indoor titles to his name, including two Masters titles, and he too knows what it is like to lose a US Open final. Whilst there are plenty of similarities to their relatively young careers, there are few similarities to their playstyles and this should make for a fantastic tactical battle. The mentality of this match will be everything and a Zverev holds the trump card of a very healthy 5-1 head-to-head record over Medvedev, though they have played just twice since the Russian fully blossomed into the piledriver he is now. In that sense, the pair have won one match each since 2019, and Medvedev’s victory claimed an ATP 1000 title in Shanghai.
For want of a tricky result, opting to count tiebreaks might be a good idea in this one, with at least one looking very likely indeed, and though both players are straight-sets machines they should both claim one here to force a decider. A result, if one has to be picked, falls to Zverev on recent form and Medvedev on finals experience. Despite the German’s excellent record against the Russian, Medvedev just swings this on his sheer will.
