Stefanos Tsitsipas was on a mission Monday during his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals: avoid Daniil Medvedev’s backhand. That strategy paid dividends for the Greek Star, who defeated Medvedev for the first time in their sixth FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting.

Entering the match, Tsitsipas and Medvedev had both won 76 per cent of their first-serve points this season. But it was the 21-year-old who dominated that category inside The O2 in London, winning 89 per cent of his first-serve points compared to 72 per cent for Medvedev.

According to Hawkeye, a staggering 43 per cent of Tsitsipas’ first serves were unreturned by Medvedev, who had won more than 31 per cent of his first-serve return points in 2019 entering the match.

Tsitsipas targeted Medvedev’s forehand, aiming out wide in the deuce court and down the T in the ad court more than anywhere else.

Tsitsipas First-Serve Placement vs. Medvedev

Tsitsipas’ first-serve domination proved key, as Medvedev put all of his second-serve returns into the court, winning 59 per cent of those points.

Even though he was not as successful behind his second serve, Tsitsipas was unrelenting in his strategy. The three-time ATP Tour champion did not go to Medvedev’s backhand once in the ad court, and he only did so three times — a rate of 20 per cent — in the deuce court. And those three second serves were closer to being body serves than they were to the centre service line.

Tsitsipas Second-Serve Placement vs. Medvedev

Medvedev camped deep in the court on return, especially when facing Tsitsipas’ first serve. The Russian returned just one first serve from within three metres of the baseline.

Medvedev Return Contact Point vs. Tsitsipas

Tsitsipas was more focussed on taking his returns early. All of his first-serve returns came closer in than all but one of Medvedev’s. The Greek put 67 per cent of his first-serve returns into play.

Tsitsipas Return Contact Point vs. Medvedev

Tsitsipas carried his service strategy to baseline rallies, especially on the forehand side. The sixth seed struck 49 per cent of his forehands to Medvedev’s forehand.

Tsitsipas Forehand Placement vs. Medvedev

Medvedev was more intent on targeting Tsitsipas’ backhand, hitting 47 per cent of his forehands down the line. Overall, the Russian went to the Greek’s backhand 51 per cent of the time.

Medvedev Forehand Placement vs. Tsitsipas

Early in the match, Medvedev contolled the longer rallies, winning eight of the 11 points that lasted more than nine shots in the first set. But Tsitsipas turned the tide in the second set, emerging victorious in five of eight rallies that lasted that long. And targeting Medvedev’s forehand helped him earn what he called, “one of the most important victories of my career”.

– Hawkeye data and visuals courtesy of ATP Media

Stefanos Tsitsipas is one set away from clinching his first win against Daniil Medvedev at the Nitto ATP Finals, grabbing the opening set 7-6(5) as both players make their debut at The O2 in London.

Tsitsipas couldn’t convert the lone break point in the opening set and hit a slice backhand into the net. He struck first in the tie-break and a strong forehand helped him create a 4/2 mini-break advantage, but a forehand approach sent wide two points later tied up the score.

But at 5/5, the Greek produced one of his best points of the match and finished it with a forehand volley winner. Tsitsipas converted the opportunity with an aggressive forehand and let out a roar of delight. He finished the set with 16 winners and won 13 of 17 trips to the net.

Medvedev holds a flawless 5-0 record in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry. Two wins against Tsitsipas came at Masters 1000 events this year in Monte-Carlo and Shanghai. The Russian is seeking his 60th tour-level win of the season.

More to follow…

INCREDIBLE rally at a key moment ?@StefTsitsipas is on fire right now ?

?: @TennisTV | #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/oIo8IATfGp

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 11, 2019

Victory never tasted so sweet for Michael Mmoh. The 21-year-old notched his first title in his comeback from a shoulder injury, defeating an in-form Christopher O’Connell 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday to cap a strong week at the Knoxville Challenger.

Mmoh was sidelined for four months earlier this year, before returning to the court at Roland Garros in May. It was a challenging comeback for the Florida resident, but he is beginning to find his form once again as the season winds to a close.

Mmoh, who ascended to a career-high No. 96 a year ago, has been fighting to rebuild his ATP Ranking and rediscover his top form in the second half of 2019. He rises 56 spots to No. 238 with the victory.

It has all come full circle for the American, who won his first Challenger title in Knoxville three years ago. At the time, Mmoh was first embarking on his professional journey. Now, fully healthy, he is targeting a speedy return to the Top 100 in 2020.

Your 2019 @KnoxChallenger champion… @MichaelMmoh!

The ?? earns his first title in his comeback from a shoulder injury, dropping just one set in six matches to lift the ?. pic.twitter.com/IpItHKQ8G5

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) November 11, 2019

Arguably the most important aspect of Mmoh’s week in Knoxville is the maturation he experienced. One week ago, the American was defaulted in Charlottesville after throwing his racquet and inadvertently hitting a linesman. You learn a lot about a person’s character following such a moment, and a devastated and emotional Mmoh responded with great strength and maturity. It was an uncharacteristic moment for one of the more kind and charismatic players on tour, but one that he admits has provided the biggest learning experience of his life.

Mmoh spoke to broadcaster Mike Cation after lifting the trophy…

Congrats, Mike. I keep thinking that you closed out the match on a serve-and-volley. When you won here in 2016, it was as a defensive player. But your attacking today was remarkable. What made you want to close it out that way?
If you told me a couple years ago that I’d serve and volley on set point in the first set and again to do it to win the match, I would have said ‘no chance’. I even shocked myself. I was even talking to my coach Patrick [Frandji] about it and I think all the doubles I played has helped a lot.

Last year I might have played two doubles events, but now I’ve played four in the past couple weeks. Just to get those reps and work on my transition game. I’m getting pumped about that. This was probably my best volleying performance ever. I knew he was going to slice every return and if I came in, I’d get a volley I liked. I just had to go for it and trust myself.

That’s hard to do, especially when you’re at the ranking you are. A match like that means so much. How do you trust yourself like that in matches?
I don’t know. It’s all instincts, honestly. I was just as nervous as anyone watching. Especially those couple deuce games when I’m down break point. It was serve and volley reactions. I wasn’t thinking when I was doing it. It just happened. My intent going into this match was to be aggressive and impose my will. I found out that he wasn’t passing as well, and I won a lot of points when I came to the net. I just knew the percentages were on my side.

What have you been doing in the training sessions with Patrick the past couple weeks?
Everything, from A to Z. Every single drill in the book. I’ve been telling him and he’s been telling me to spend at least a half hour at the net. Every day. Whether I miss a thousand volleys, it might not pay off immediately, but just getting those reps and working that side of my game, I think it’s so beneficial to my game.

In terms of where you are now, you’re pretty much locked into Australian Open qualies worst-case scenario. You also have the lead in the USTA’s wild card challenge. Did you think you would get to this point?
Coming into these few weeks, I definitely thought it was a goal. I was playing well and didn’t get the results I wanted. I played Steve Johnson early in Fairfield. I played Vasek Pospisil in Las Vegas. All the players I was losing to were good players. In practice, my game was there. If I got on a roll, maybe it could happen. After last week, I had no intention of winning the wild card. I just want to be playing and if I win a couple rounds here it’s great. I won my first round and played great. Darian King is always a tough competitor and then my draw opened up a little bit. I believed in myself and took full advantage.

You brought up what happened in Charlottesville. It was very emotional for me, knowing you. And knowing that it’s just not like you. I can’t even imagine what it was like. What were those conversations like with your mom in terms of mentally being ready to be here this week?
Right after the match I went to the little cafe area in Charlottesville. I was sitting down with my mom. I’ll remember this for the rest of my life. I was just balling my eyes out. I was so disappointed in myself and embarrassed. I didn’t know how I would make it past that. I didn’t know how I could even play tennis again, which is so sad. It was a low moment. I took it one moment at a time and one day at a time. My mom definitely gave me a lot of power and a lot of courage.

Getting some practices and matches in was important. Coming into my first round match I was still thinking about it. But it gave me a different perspective. Coming into that day in Charlottesville, I thought the worst thing that could happen was me losing that tennis match. But I would have lost 6-0, 6-0 without doing what I did. I felt so bad in that moment.

To overcome that, I’ve been happy winning tennis matches before, but I’ve never been this proud. I can’t apologize to whoever saw that moment and to that linesman enough. It was a mistake that I will always regret for the rest of my life. From the bottom of my soul, I feel so bad.

It’s ironic because it was Darian King opposite you and he had his unfortunate moment a few years ago in Charlottesville. Did you talk to him at all, because it took him a while to recover?
I actually haven’t spoken to Darian himself, but I’ve had conversations with his brother. His brother talked to me about what Darian went through and his emotions for the next couple of weeks. He really helped me.

A lot of players were actually super nice about the whole situation. They told me stories of similar things they went through. They said to learn from it. Paolo Lorenzi told me about a story from 10 years ago, where he threw a racquet and it almost hit a ball kid. From that day, he said he will never throw a racquet for the rest of his life. I said that I will make that same initiative.

You have one tournament left this year. It’s in Houston and it’s outside and cold. Where are you at mentally going there?
Well, I’ve only played half the year. I’ve played 30 matches this year and everyone else has played more than 70. I feel relatively fresh. The cold is an aspect that will be a challenge, but I’m ready for it. Nothing is a bigger battle than this week, so forget about 30-degree weather. I’m ready for it.

A LOOK BACK
Hyogo Noah Challenger (Kobe, Japan): The tension reached a crescendo with every match point. Yosuke Watanuki was serving for his first ATP Challenger Tour title, but the nerves of the occasion were overwhelming for the 21-year-old.

With the championship on his racquet at 5-4 40/0 in the second set, Watanuki’s level dropped and Yuichi Sugita raised his. In front of nearly 4,000 fans at the Bourbon Beans Dome in Kobe, the Saitama native found himself one point from celebrating his maiden moment on home soil… nine times.

As eight championship points came and went, the expression on Watanuki’s face went from agony to panic. The #NextGenATP star tried everything to seal the victory, from engaging Sugita in backhand slice rallies from the baseline to attacking the net with abandon.

A murmur grew throughout the arena as the 23-point game seemed to extend for an eternity. But in the end, Watanuki would fight off his dogged countryman, saving three break points and eventually crossing the finish line with a massive exhale. At that point, it was more relief than ecstasy.

The moment of victory.

On his NINTH championship point, Yosuke Watanuki claims his maiden #ATPChallenger title in Kobe.

One year after finishing runner-up, the ?? reigns on home soil. pic.twitter.com/iOJsbdtTZ3

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) November 10, 2019

Watanuki would secure his first ATP Challenger Tour crown without dropping a set all week. In fact, he did not relinquish more than four games in a set in his six matches played. It was a dominant performance to conclude the 2019 season for the budding Japanese star.

At No. 302 in the ATP Rankings to enter the week, Watanuki will vault 76 spots to No. 226. And the victory carries added significance, securing his place in Australian Open qualifying in January.

With the win, Watanuki joins Yoshihito Nishioka as the only Japanese champions aged 21 & under in a decade. After finishing runner-up in Kobe a year ago, he finally wrapped his arms around the trophy.

Slovak Open (Bratislava, Slovakia): Dennis Novak emerged from a loaded draw to claim the title in Bratislava. With seven players inside the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings, the field was stacked on the indoor hard courts of Slovakia’s National Tennis Centre.

In the end, it was an unseeded Novak who emerged with the trophy, defeating countryman Sebastian Ofner, #NextGenATP star Alexei Popyrin, home favourite Norbert Gombos, third seed Stefano Travaglia, ninth seed Egor Gerasimov and fifth seed Damir Dzumhur for the title. That’s six wins in seven days for the Austrian, who dismissed Dzumhur 6-1, 6-1 in just 49 minutes on Sunday.

It was Novak’s second Challenger crown, having prevailed in Taipei City earlier this year. He is once again knocking on the door of a Top 100 breakthrough, rising to No. 108 in the ATP Rankings.

Uruguay Open (Montevideo, Uruguay): Jaume Munar was the comeback kid throughout the week in Montevideo. The Spaniard rallied from a set down on three occasions, en route to the title at the last outdoor clay-court event of 2019.

Munar ousted third seed Federico Delbonis 7-5, 6-2 on Sunday to triumph, earning his fourth Challenger title and first of 2019. Earlier in the week, he stormed back to defeat Jozef Kovalik, Andrea Collarini and last week’s Guayaquil winner Thiago Seyboth Wild. It was a well-earned championship for the 22-year-old.

Knoxville Challenger (Knoxville, Tennessee, USA): Victory never tasted so sweet for Michael Mmoh. The 21-year-old notched his first title in his comeback from a shoulder injury, which sidelined him for four months earlier this year. He defeated an in-form Christopher O’Connell 6-4, 6-4 to cap a strong week on the indoor hard courts of Knoxville.

Mmoh, who ascended to a career-high No. 96 a year ago, has been fighting to rebuild his ATP Ranking and rediscover his top form in 2019. He rises 56 spots to No. 238 with the victory.

It has all come full circle for the American, who won his first Challenger title in Knoxville three years ago. At the time, Mmoh was first embarking on his professional journey. Now, fully healthy, he is targeting a speedy return to the Top 100 in 2020.

A LOOK AHEAD
The penultimate week of the 2019 season features five tournaments on three continents.

Top seed Tennys Sandgren, defending champion Bradley Klahn and veteran Ivo Karlovic lead the charge at the Challenger 125 event in Houston. Also in the United States, Denis Kudla is the top seed in Champaign and is joined by Blaz Rola and Emilio Gomez.

On European soil, Henri Laaksonen leads the charge at the inaugural Tali Open in Helsinki, Finland. Emil Ruusuvuori, the Finnish No. 1, is also in action. And at a snowy Sparkassen ATP Challenger in northern Italy, Jannik Sinner returns to the circuit after lifting the trophy at the Next Gen ATP Finals.

In Asia, top Indian Prajnesh Gunneswaran leads the field in Pune. Countryman Sumit Nagal and Aussie James Duckworth are competing at the Balewadi Sports Complex.

Dominic Thiem upset Roger Federer on Sunday night at the Nitto ATP Finals with a clear and aggressive game plan that he executed well and stuck to throughout his 7-5, 7-5 victory.

These 10 Hawk-Eye graphics help tell the story of how Thiem improved to 5-2 against the Swiss in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series and earned his first opening victory at the season finale.

First-Serve Placement
Thiem pounded the Federer backhand throughout their Group Bjorn Borg matchup, and that was no more evident than with his serve. Federer, meanwhile, went after Thiem’s forehand with his first offering.

Thiem First-Serve Placement

Federer First-Serve Placement

Second-Serve Placement
With his second serve, Thiem stuck to his plan and continued to go after the Federer backhand wing, but Federer flipped the script. He no longer targetted Thiem’s forehand but instead attacked his backhand side.

Thiem Second-Serve Placement

Federer Second-Serve Placement

Rally Hit Points
Thiem, especially on clay, has been known to sag behind the baseline, allowing him plenty of time to hack away at big forehands and backhands, and it’s been Federer who has been on the attack, seizing every opportunity to come forward and play inside the baseline.

But on Sunday evening, it was the Austrian who spent nearly the majority of his evening inside the baseline, and Federer who was forced defend behind the baseline.

Thiem Rally Hit Points

Federer Rally Hit Points

Backhand Hit Points
Nowhere on court was Federer forced to defend from more than his backhand wing, as Thiem relentlessly brought the power to Federer’s one-hander, giving the Swiss few options.

Thiem Backhand Hit Points

Federer Backhand Hit Points

Court Coverage
If you’re Thiem’s coach, Nicolas Massu, this might your favourite graphic. The Austrian spent the entire two sets on the attack against Federer, hardly letting the Swiss play offence.

Thiem Court Coverage

Federer Court Coverage

– Hawkeye data and visuals courtesy of ATP Media

Roger Federer has mentally removed himself from Group Bjorn Borg at the Nitto ATP Finals. After dropping his opening match on Sunday to Dominic Thiem, he’ll likely need to win his two next matches in order to advance out of round-robin action and into the semi-finals. The Swiss is now treating this week as a knockout tournament.

“It’s a normal tournament from here on forward. I’m not allowed to lose anymore,” Federer said. “That’s how it is every week of the year for the past 20 years, so from that standpoint, there is nothing new.”

The six-time champion wasn’t pleased about dropping his opening service game or being broken to love at 5-5 in the second set. But Federer still finished the night with more winners (24) than unforced errors (22) and only won five fewer points than Thiem (72 to 77). His level on Centre Court required a world-class performance to beat him and he praised the Austrian for delivering it.

“I thought he played well. The start definitely didn’t help. That put me on the back foot,” Federer said. “But I recovered well and I thought the match was pretty even for a long period of time. I felt that I had my chances. Didn’t feel like I was outplayed or anything. Just maybe those first-match hiccups, not hitting your spots on the serve when you need to, getting into trouble early in the service games, which maybe doesn’t happen later on in the tournament.”

Although Federer’s form dipped at times, the crowd support for him never wavered. The British public has adopted the Swiss as one of their own after the memorable moments he’s provided in London throughout his 21-year ATP Tour career, including two titles at The O2 (2010-2011). Despite the loss to Thiem, he remained optimistic that their energy can help propel him to a seventh title at this event.

“I thought the atmosphere was great. I wish I could have given them a bit more something to celebrate tonight,” Federer said. ”I felt like the fans were waiting and they were ready to go… Maybe getting that break in the second set would have done exactly that, but it’s a wonderful event here. I’m happy I’ve played here so many times so I could enjoy the crowds. I’m looking forward to the next two [matches].”

Federer will shift his focus to his next match on Tuesday against Matteo Berrettini, who also lost his opening match to Novak Djokovic. He dropped just five games against the Italian in their lone FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting this year at Wimbledon, but said that anyone who qualifies for the season-ending championships can’t be underestimated.

“With his serve, with what he can do, obviously any opponent is dangerous here,” Federer said. “I’ve got to recover. I’ve got to make sure I play better than today and hopefully I can win that match.”

The fireworks are sure to fly on Day 2 at the Nitto ATP Finals, as World No. 1 Rafael Nadal battles defending champion Alexander Zverev, while debutants Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev duel under the lights.

As Nadal enters his Group Andre Agassi opener with a 5-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head lead over Zverev, much is at stake for both competitors. The Spaniard has the year-end No. 1 ATP Ranking to play for this week at The O2, currently leading Novak Djokovic by 640 points in the ATP Rankings.

The top seed controls his own path to a fifth year-end No. 1 finish. If he wins his maiden Nitto ATP Finals title or reaches the final with an undefeated round robin campaign, he is assured of finishing the season at the top. It all starts on Monday for the 33-year-old.

Nadal, who is appearing at the season finale for a ninth time, is in search of his first crown at the prestigious tournament – the lone big title that has eluded the Manacor native. Despite having to pull out of the Rolex Paris Masters a week ago with an abdominal injury, he will take great confidence from another dominant campaign. He carries a 51-6 record into London, boasting titles in Rome, Roland Garros, Toronto and at the US Open.

“I have good hopes to be 100 per cent ready for Monday,” Nadal said. “It’s a tournament [where] you will face the top guys since the beginning, so you need to be 100 per cent ready.”

Meanwhile, Zverev is hoping to return to the winners’ circle with a second straight crown in London. The German, who qualified in the seventh position, is flying under the radar entering the tournament. He owns just one title – on the clay of Geneva – this year and is bidding for his first win over a World No. 1 since the final in London (d. Djokovic) exactly one year ago.

“As everyone probably knows I didn’t have the best season I wanted to have, but I’m still top eight in the world and made London,” said Zverev. “A lot of people would dream of that, so being with these guys is an unbelievable honour and I wanted to come back here and give myself a chance to retain my title. I want to play some good matches as well.”

The reigning champion is peaking at the right time, however, following a final finish at the Rolex Shanghai Masters last month. There, he earned his first Top 5 win of the year over Roger Federer.

Nadal and Zverev have had their fair share of battles over the years, including a five-set clash at the 2017 Australian Open and a tense affair in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia final in 2018. It was in the Rome championship that Zverev held a break lead in the deciding set, before a rain delay disrupted his rhythm and Nadal sprinted to the finish. That was their most recent meeting and both players will be seeking the upper hand as the series shifts to The O2.

Also on Monday is a highly-anticipated clash between fourth seed Daniil Medvedev and sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. Both the Russian and the Greek are making their Nitto ATP Finals debuts on the heels of breakthrough 2019 campaigns.

Medvedev and Tsitsipas have celebrated plenty of crowning achievements and contested many memorable matches this year, including a pair of clashes against each other. While the Moscow native owns a commanding 5-0 lead in their budding FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry, Tsitsipas has given him a fight in both their 2019 encounters.

In April, Medvedev made a significant breakthrough at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, where he survived a rollercoaster 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 battle against Tsitsipas to reach the quarter-finals. It marked just his second Top 10 win at the time.

Six months later, they met once again, but this time on the hard courts of Shanghai. Medvedev emerged victorious in a tight 7-6(5), 7-5 semi-final encounter, en route to his second ATP Masters 1000 crown of the year.

“Hopefully, we’re going to have a lot of matches to come throughout our careers, in the later stages of the tournament,” Medvedev said. “Hopefully we can have a lot of great matches to come.”

Medvedev will look for more of the same in London, following a breakout regular season on the ATP Tour. He has posted a tour-leading 59 match victories and not only lifted his first ATP Masters 1000 trophies in Cincinnati and Shanghai, but also finished runner-up at the US Open. He is already making history for his native Russia, becoming the first from his country to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals since Nikolay Davydenko in 2009.

On the other side of the net, Tsitsipas is also appearing in London for the first time, having secured his 50th match win of the season a week ago at the Rolex Paris Masters. One year ago, the 21-year-old was hoisting the trophy at the Next Gen ATP Finals. It has been a smooth transition to the big show.

“I am very proud of myself to have put in a lot of effort and work to get here,” said Tsitsipas. “It’s a great transition from the Next Gen ATP Finals to here, both great events. It’s great being part of such a prestigious event with a long history in our sport.”

Dominic Thiem played with growing confidence throughout his 7-5, 7-5 victory over six-time former champion Roger Federer on Sunday night in Group Bjorn Borg play at the Nitto ATP Finals. It was a first opening group match win for Thiem, who is competing at the season finale for the fourth consecutive year.

“To beat him, everything has to fit together,” said Thiem. “Today, I think was the case again. I played very well. I played a good match in general. Serving, returning well, which is probably the two most important things indoors. Then, probably, also the last game was crucial. I don’t even want to think about what happens if he wins that game and comes back to a tie-break. So I’m very happy that I pulled that through at 6-5.

“In general, it’s a very nice victory for me. I mean, every time I play against him is a big honour. Beating him is even better, and especially on this surface indoors, where he’s feeling well usually.”

Thiem extended his record to 5-2 over Federer in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, including three wins this year, and will next face Novak Djokovic on Tuesday night at The O2 in London. Djokovic beat Matteo Berrettini 6-2, 6-1 earlier on Sunday. Buy Your Tickets

“I think he’s the best right now. He proved that also in Bercy [at the Rolex Paris Masters] where he didn’t somehow play his best tennis, but still won the title pretty easy. So that’s how good his level is… Probably, right now, it’s the biggest challenge you can face, to play Novak.”

The 26-year-old Thiem, who has won an ATP Tour-best five trophies this year, including his first ATP Masters 1000 crown at the BNP Paribas Open (d. Federer) in March, has compiled a 47-17 match record.

Thiem got off to a fast start, but Federer worked his way back from 0/40 to 30/40, only to mishit a forehand wide and hand Thiem the first break for a 2-0 advantage. However, Thiem’s advantage was short-lived as two games later he was pressurized into striking a forehand wide. Thiem, enjoying a career-best season under the guidance of Nicolas Massu, made inroads again, happy to rally backhand-to-backhand with Federer and bide his time. When Federer shanked a backhand wide at 5-5, 30/40, it was advantage Thiem.

Thiem played a waiting game in the second set, but when it came to the crunch at 5-5, he was quick to step up the court and hit three winners. Federer, pinned back on the baseline, could not pick up a forehand return off his shoelaces. With time running out, Federer pressed but was unable to convert two break points at 5-6 as Thiem kept his nerve.

A HUGE win for @ThiemDomi ?

His third win over Roger Federer this season.

?: @TennisTV #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/KKDJvfvSa7

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 10, 2019

“I thought he played well,” said Federer. “I mean, the start definitely didn’t help. That put me on the back foot a little bit. But I recovered well, and I thought after that the match was actually pretty even for a long period of time. I had my chances, I felt. I didn’t feel like I was outplayed or anything. Just maybe that first-round hiccups a little bit, not hitting your spots on the serve when you need to, getting into trouble early in the service games which maybe doesn’t happen later on in the tournament.

“I thought also Dominic saved himself real well when he had to, so I thought he played a tough first-round performance today, and my game was probably just not good enough, and the start didn’t help.”

Federer is now 12-5 lifetime in opening matches at the Nitto ATP Finals. He also lost his first group match last year against Kei Nishikori. The 38-year-old won the season finale crown in 2003-04 (Houston), 2006-07 (Shanghai) and 2010-11 (London). He has a record 57-15 match record at the tournament, which was first held in Tokyo in 1970.

Federer’s turning up the heat ?

Watch the #NittoATPFinals on @TennisTV ? pic.twitter.com/XXFYVNwJkC

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 10, 2019

The Nitto ATP Finals returns to The O2 in London for the 11th straight year and features the top trio of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, who first played together at the season finale in 2007. This marks the 50th edition of the year-end championship, which has been held in 14 different cities since the inaugural tournament in Tokyo.

Federer holds a couple distinctions at the Nitto ATP Finals, as the winner of a record six singles titles and as the oldest champion in tournament history. John McEnroe is the youngest champion on the honour roll, having won his first of three titles at the age of 18. He also claimed a record seven doubles titles alongside fellow American Peter Fleming, from 1978-1984 in New York City.