Impressive Alex de Minaur can be crowned top youngster

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Stefanos Tsitsipas is the clear favourite for the Next Gen ATP Finals after he was placed in the easier of the two groups in the wake of Alexander Zverev and Denis Shapovalov pulling out of the Milan tournament.

Zverev is saving his energies for the ATP Finals, which start in London on Sunday, while Shapo­valov is an absentee due to exhaustion.

Bookmakers have been slow to price up the two groups, but Tsitsipas would be the bet to win Group A after his excellent campaign, although it's possible we could see better from battling Spaniard Jaume Munar in Milan.

Tsitsipas is just a shade over 2-1 to lift the trophy. Having said he looks the pick to top his group, Group B features three top young players so the Greek, who would have to win a semi-final and final after the round-robin phase, can possibly be taken on in the title market.

Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz and Andrey Rublev are the top trio in the second section, along with a homeland wild-card ranked 644th in the world whose presence in the event is an insult to first alternate Ugo Humbert.

Rublev could figure after finishing runner-up to Hyeon Chung in the inaugural Next Gen Finals last year, but the Russian is still fighting his way back after a debilitating back injury.

That leaves Fritz and De Minaur, whose fellow Australian Ashleigh Barty won the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai at the weekend.

Fritz is capable but the penny has yet to drop with the American. That said, he and fellow 21-year-old Rublev both have a two-year advantage over teenager De Minaur.

The Australian was in superb nick, however, in Paris last week and having victories to his name over all three of his group rivals, he may be worth an interest to be the last man standing.

De Minaur may lack the power of his taller young rivals, but his wide range of groundstrokes could make up for that.

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