GettyImages-1244808225

We’ll be getting a dramatic match between world No. 9 Taylor Fritz and world No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Nitto ATP Finals on Thursday. Casper Ruud has already advanced to the semifinals out of the Green Group, while Rafael Nadal has been eliminated from the event—meaning the winner of this match will be going on to the semis. So we can expect to get the very best out of both of these players here.

Auger-Aliassime had won 16 of his previous 17 matches before arriving in Turin, making him the hottest player in the field before stepping on the court. The Canadian hasn't brought that same form to the year-end event; he was upset by Ruud in his first match, and even his victory over Nadal—who has looked like the worst player in the field this week—wasn't as convincing as it could have been. It wouldn’t be surprising if Auger-Aliassime were to turn it on at some point in the next few days, but his current form leaves an opening for Fritz to make this a very competitive match.

Advertising

MAKE YOUR PICKS, AND YOU COULD WIN BIG

MAKE YOUR PICKS, AND YOU COULD WIN BIG

Think you know what'll happen in Wimbledon? Tell us in our Match Point Predictor.

After earning a straight-set win over Nadal in his first match in Turin, Fritz then played a very tight match with Ruud. The American has been dialed in this week, and he earned 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-4 win over the Canadian back in January, when the two met at the ATP Cup. All of that should give him the confidence he needs to go out and perform at a high level in this spot.

Overall, Fritz’s ability to serve and play an effective power game makes it hard for opponents to blow him off the court without much of a fight. For that reason, we’re turning to the game total in this match and taking the Over. It just shouldn’t shock anyone if these two play two very long sets, with the winner potentially taking a tiebreaker or two. It's also easy to see both of these players will end up winning a set, which would be the ideal scenario. There’s nothing better than getting to watch a little extra tennis after having already cashed in on your bet.

Let’s hope that both of these players just go out there and do what they do. As long as neither of them are off with the ball on their racquet, this should be a relatively straightforward win.

The Pick: Over 23.5 Games (+100)