Two 500-level finals kick off: Will Zverev be the "third party" or the one "proven wrong"?

The final rosters for the Vienna and Basel 500 tournaments have been confirmed. Tonight Beijing time, the finals of these two events will be played consecutively. Before the matches begin, let's have a look ahead at the finals.

Vienna Tournament

Sinner vs Zverev

The top four seeds clashed in the semifinals, and the top two seeds advanced to the final, making Vienna a huge draw. Currently, world No. 2 Sinner has a 20-match winning streak on indoor hard courts, but Zverev is also strong on this surface, having won the Paris Masters and ATP Finals. In their head-to-head, Zverev leads narrowly with 4 wins to 3 losses.

This will be their second meeting since the Australian Open final earlier this year, where defending champion Sinner won in straight sets. Since then, Sinner has also won Wimbledon for the first time and reclaimed the China Open title after a year. Although Zverev won the Munich title, his season overall has been somewhat disappointing. Already qualified for the ATP Finals, he will soon compete at the Paris Masters aiming to defend his title.

At the Shanghai Masters, Zverev made headlines again by claiming that the organizers changed the court speed to favor Alcaraz and Sinner, to which Sinner quickly responded. Now, it’s time for them to settle matters on the court. Will Zverev make a comeback, or will he be "severely proven wrong" by Sinner?

Basel Tournament

Davidovich Fokina vs Fonseca

Earlier in the tournament, the Canadian twins were expected to meet in the semifinals but both withdrew early, ending their runs prematurely. This paved the way for Fokina to reach his fourth final of the season and fifth career final on tour. Can he finally claim his first title? Notably, earlier this year in Washington against De Minaur, he once led but then faltered, ultimately watching the trophy slip away again.

Fokina’s opponent in the final is the Brazilian rising star Fonseca, only 19 years old but already established on tour. During this year’s clay season, he won the Buenos Aires title and will be striving hard for his second crown of the year.

It’s well known that Fonseca idolizes Swiss legend Federer, the most successful player in this tournament’s history. Winning this title following in his footsteps would be a dream come true. Meanwhile, if Fokina achieves his breakthrough and finally wins, that story would be equally remarkable.

Both finals carry significant meaning: if Zverev wins, it would prove he still deserves to be considered a contender beyond Alcaraz and Sinner. The other final promises a compelling narrative regardless of the winner — either a true rising star emerging or a hard-fought inspirational triumph.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Luo Cheng Qiye)