ATP Finals: Novak Djokovic beats Alexander Zverev to make semi-finals
Novak Djokovic defeats Alexander Zverev in straight sets to reach the last four of the ATP Finals in London.
Novak Djokovic defeats Alexander Zverev in straight sets to reach the last four of the ATP Finals in London.
Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares increased their chances of reaching the Nitto ATP Finals semi-finals on Friday with a 6-7(2), 6-3, 10-8 win against John Peers and Michael Venus.
The top seeds won 83 per cent of first-serve points (33/40) to end Group Bob Bryan with a 2-1 record. The US Open champions will have to wait until the evening session to find out if they have qualified for the last four at The O2. Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos will meet Jurgen Melzer and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the final Group Bob Bryan match. As a result of Pavic and Soares’ Match Tie-break win, Granollers and Zeballos have qualified for the semi-finals. The only scenario where Pavic and Soares do not join the Spanish-Argentine duo in the last four is if Melzer and Roger-Vasselin win this evening’s match in two sets.
”To be honest, I don’t really know what we need [this evening],” said Soares in an on-court interview. “We are going to watch because we love doubles, we love entertainment. I think we did what we had to do, which is win the match. Right now, it is not in our hands anymore. We have just got to wait and hopefully we come back to play another match tomorrow.”
Pavic and Soares improved to 22-11 as a team this year after 89 minutes. The top seeds, who won their maiden Grand Slam trophy as a team at the US Open in September, are seeking their second title of 2020.
Pavic and Soares broke serve in the opening game with sharp returning and won their first 16 points on serve to establish a 5-3 lead. But Peers and Venus, who needed to win in straight sets to keep their qualification hopes alive, made a remarkable comeback. Venus saved four consecutive set points with powerful serving and Peers saved two more in the following game to level the score at 5-5. The sixth seeds rode the momentum into the tie-break and converted their first set point when Pavic failed to control a backhand return.
When Pavic and Soares were asked in the on-court interview about what they were saying to each other after failing to convert six set points in the first set, Soares gave an honest response.
“Let’s book the flight home, that is what we said” said the Brazilian. “[It was] another tough set that we lost. We played extremely well [in the] first set and it is tough to lose a set like this. It was quite a similar story the other day. I think we both stayed calm… tried to keep the cool. We were both pretty upset with the first set and I think we managed to do that.”
[WATCH LIVE 1]Pavic and Soares recovered from the disappointment of dropping the first set, as they extracted volley errors to earn break point at 2-1 in the second set. Soares converted the pair’s first opportunity with a backhand winner down the line. Pavic held his nerve at the net to clinch the second set on a deciding point at 5-3.
In the Match Tie-break, Pavic and Soares rallied from 5/7 by winning five of the next six points to earn their second win of the week. Pavic converted their second match point with a swinging ace out wide.
Peers and Venus finish Group Bob Bryan with a 0-3 record. The sixth seeds end their 2020 ATP Tour season with three trophies and a 22-13 record. Peers and Venus claimed titles in Dubai, Hamburg and Antwerp earlier this year.
Did You Know?
Pavic and Soares are one of three teams who can still finish as the year-end No. 1 pair in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings.
The ATP and Infosys, a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, have today announced the renewal of their highly successful partnership for a further three years. The agreement will see Infosys continue as Global Technology Services Partner and Digital Innovation Partner of the ATP, through 2023.
As the technology partner of the ATP since 2015, Infosys has been instrumental in supporting ATP’s development of key digital assets and infrastructure, including ATP PlayerZone, ATP Stats Leaderboards, ATP Second Screen, and the ATP app. Through the extended partnership, Infosys will continue to develop and accelerate innovations in advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics and cloud, leveraging its dedicated tennis platform to deliver diverse experiences for players, media, and fans across the world.
Through Infosys ATP Stats, ATP Performance Zone, and Win-Loss index, the ATP will continue to focus on data driven insights for match statistics. Coupled with the popular editorial series, Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers, fans will gain deeper insight into tennis through comprehensive game analysis. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Nitto ATP finals, Infosys and ATP have created Flashback 50, a data driven web experience to statistically compare the champions across five decades of the Nitto ATP Finals over the past 50 tournament editions.
“Infosys is a leading global brand and one which has been instrumental in helping ATP innovate and maximise efficiency through technology,” said Massimo Calvelli, ATP CEO. “Most importantly, these exciting innovations have enhanced fans’ experience and interaction with our sport. We are thrilled to extend our partnership and look forward to seeing what we can continue achieving together.”
Pravin Rao, Infosys COO, said: “The ATP Tour was our first partnership in the sport of tennis, and together with ATP we’ve continued to push the boundaries of how fans, players and the media are involved and engaged in the game. As we take rapid strides in our sixth year partnering together, our focus remains on supporting ATP’s vision to reimagine the game, leveraging data to deliver unique insights and digital experiences through next generation technologies.”
The year-end No. 1 spot in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings is still up for grabs at the Nitto ATP Finals, and three teams still have a shot at earning the distinction. Two teams — Mate Pavic/Bruno Soares and Rajeev Ram/Joe Salisbury — can clinch year-end No. 1 by winning the title, while Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos must finish the week as undefeated champions just to have a chance.
ATPTour.com looks at the scenarios for the three teams still in the running for year-end No. 1.
[DATA DIVE]Pavic/Soares Will Finish Year-End No. 1 If:
– They win the event
OR
– They make the final AND Ram/Salisbury lose their semi-final on Saturday
– Do not need to win on Friday to make the semi-finals
OR
– They win their match on Friday AND Ram/Salisbury lose their semi-final on Saturday AND Granollers/Zeballos lose one more match
Ram/Salisbury Will Finish Year-End No. 1 If:
– They win the event
OR
– They make the final AND Pavic/Soares do not make the final
OR
– Pavic/Soares do not win another match AND Granollers/Zeballos lose one more match
– In this scenario Ram/Salisbury lose their match on Saturday as well
Granollers/Zeballos Will Finish Year-End No. 1 If:
-They are the undefeated champions AND both Pavic/Soares and Ram/Salisbury do not make the final
Rafael Nadal doesn’t shy away from a battle. That was the case once again on Thursday night at the Nitto ATP Finals against defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The Spaniard double faulted to lose the second set, and let slip an early break advantage in the decider. But instead of folding, the legendary lefty played some of his best tennis to run away with the match and book his spot in the semi-finals at The O2 in London.
“It’s always a good feeling when you are playing well and you’re playing against the best players of the world,” Nadal said. “You know you’re going to be [in] a tough fight. That’s what happened tonight. I was able to find a way to win. [I’m] very happy.”
Last year, Nadal beat Tsitsipas in another three-setter to close out round-robin play at the season finale. But despite finishing with a 2-1 record, he did not advance to the semi-finals because of other results in their group. This time, Nadal knew he controlled his own destiny.
“[It was] an important match for me. Last year I was not able to be in the semi-finals, winning two matches, too. This year I am,” Nadal said. “I needed to win that match, and I did it. I had a good reaction later [in the match], but I was playing I think a great level of tennis for almost two sets.”
The Nitto ATP Finals trophy is the biggest title missing from Nadal’s resume. But the Spaniard is not saying this is necessarily the best level he has shown at the event. He reached the championship match at The O2 in 2010 and 2013.
“I was playing good last year too… I am playing well, I think. I have one more day tomorrow to keep practising,” Nadal said. “I am in a good feeling, but I played some great tournaments too in the past. It’s true I never won, but sometimes you play well and you don’t win. That’s normal in this sport, because the other players are very good, too.”
Nadal will face an opponent against whom he made an epic comeback last year at this tournament. In 2019, Daniil Medvedev let slip a 5-1 lead in the third set against Nadal. But this time, Medvedev is perhaps in better form. The Russian, who recently won the Rolex Paris Masters, has already guaranteed himself the top spot in Group Tokyo 1970.
“I am looking forward to play against probably the player who is playing better the past couple of weeks, and I’m excited about that,” Nadal said. “Let’s see. [It’s] going to be amazing challenge and I hope to be ready for it.”
When defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas was asked before his Nitto ATP Finals rematch against Rafael Nadal about the strategy he would employ against the Spanish great, he had a very clear game plan: “You can’t play defensive with Rafa.”
The Greek player stuck to his strategy, but for the second year in a row he went down swinging against Nadal at The O2, falling in another three-set battle, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. He was eliminated from the season-ending event after finishing with a 1-2 record in Group London 2020.
“I don’t even know what I was trying to do, honestly,” Tsitsipas said. “Trying to be way, way too aggressive. I was giving him free points without really, you know, himself doing much or hurting me from the back.
“I should have handled it a little bit more clever and patiently, but it didn’t happen. My serve was not there when I needed it, and these guys, you just have to be there. I wasn’t fully present. I wasn’t playing in the moment. Quite disappointed with that. But that’s life.”
It was a disappointing end to a strange season for the Greek player, who started the year lifting his fifth ATP Tour trophy in Marseille and backed it up with a run to the final in Dubai. But just as he had seemed to find his best tennis, then came the Tour’s six-month pause as the world was gripped by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When the season resumed, Tsitsipas reached his second career Grand Slam semi-final at Roland Garros, and came to London eager to defend his Nitto ATP Finals crown. But he admitted that the mental aspect of the empty stands, bubbles and strict health protocols had taken a toll.
“I’m not a person who sees the dark side of things. But this whole thing was very difficult to handle, to be honest with you,” Tsitsipas reflected. “I’m very happy that I didn’t break down, and I’m sure if you ask other players they are going to respond the same way.”
[WATCH LIVE 3]With his season in the books, Tsitsipas is already looking forward to the off-season and new year ahead – and maybe, a season where he won’t have to run into Nadal at The O2, as the Nitto ATP Finals moves to its new home in Turin in 2021.
“There were a few positives I can take from that,” Tsitsipas said. “I will try and forget the negatives, because who needs negativity in this world? Just looking at the bright side of it. Trying to get to the end of the tunnel and see something better in the near future.”
Rafael Nadal reaches the last four of the ATP Finals by beating 2019 champion Stefanos Tsitsipas in three sets.
Three years ago, when Novak Djokovic squared off against Alexander Zverev in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia final, in their first meeting, the Serb came into the match looking invincible. He hadn’t dropped a set in the tournament and had just beaten up on Roberto Bautista Agut, Juan Martin del Potro and Dominic Thiem, dropping only a single game against the Austrian star.
At the time, Sascha Zverev was 20, with a FedEx ATP Ranking of No. 17. But Zverev shocked Djokovic and the tennis world with a 6-4, 6-3 win, securing a place in the Top 10 for the first time. After the match, he spoke about how his career expectations had evolved over the years.
[DATA DIVE]“When I was 11 or 12, I thought I’d probably win about four Slams already by the age of 20,” said Zverev, who met all the top stars when he was a little boy, thanks to his older brother, Mischa, who was on the Tour. “Then when I was 16, everything started to be more realistic. I could not imagine Top 10 by the age of 20. It’s something truly amazing.”
The following year, 2018, Djokovic scored two convincing wins against the German, dropping just three games against him in Shanghai and only five in a one-sided round-robin match at the Nitto ATP Finals. But Zverev pulled off another shocker, beating Djokovic in the final of the event. On Friday afternoon, he’ll have another chance to upset the World No. 1 with a victory in a winner-moves-on, loser-goes-home showdown at The O2.
Djokovic comes into the match coming off a surprisingly flat performance in a straight-sets loss to Daniil Medvedev. He said after the match that he went through a spell of not feeling well for 15-20 minutes but was feeling better by the end of the match. On media day last week, the Serb champion said that Medvedev and Zverev were two of the most dangerous opponents in the sport.
[WATCH LIVE 1]“Zverev and Medvedev are probably in the best form of anyone at this tournament indoors,” he said. “They’ve won two tournaments in a row and played in the finals in Paris. Those guys are very tall and have big serves and lots of weapons from the back of the court, solid backhands and forehands also. They’re complete players both of them and [they have] similar styles. You have to be at your best to win against those guys the way they’re playing indoors.”
Nole, as he’s called in the Balkans, owns a 3-2 edge in their budding rivalry. They haven’t faced each other since Djokovic beat Zverev at Roland Garros last year in straight sets in the quarter-finals. Zverev appeared to be struggling with his second serve in his opening loss to Daniil Medvedev, but righted his ship in his second match, a win against Diego Schwartzman, firing 10 aces against just three double faults.
Both lost in straight sets to Medvedev, but Novak got past Schwartzman in two sets, whereas the Argentine took Zverev the distance before succumbing. The keys to the match will be Zverev’s serve and Djokovic’s consistency. The Serb made an uncharacteristic 22 unforced errors against Medvedev. Assuming Djokovic cleans up the errors, he’ll be the favourite. But he won’t be the prohibitive favourite that he was coming into their previous encounters. A huge serving day from the German could help him engineer another upset. Zverev said last Friday that he’s looking forward to the challenge.
“Novak is a great player no matter where you play him. He’s tough to beat,” Zverev said. “I played him twice here in the same year. Obviously I won once, I lost once. He’s going to be difficult. I think he’s the favourite in our group and everybody’s going to look forward to playing him. You have to play your best to have a chance against him.”
The phrase “third time’s a charm” or “third time’s lucky” as they say in the UK may come from Old English law, wherein those who survived three hangings would be set free. The law was apparently inspired by the story of John “Babbacombe” Lee, a Brit who was convicted (on flimsy grounds) of stabbing his employer to death in 1885 and was sentenced to death by hanging. The trapdoor on the scaffolding beneath him failed to open on three occasions, he was spared, served 22 years in prison and then cashed in on his notoriety with lecture tours and a film.
Luckily for Daniil Medvedev and Diego Schwartzman, no such gruesome fate awaits them Friday night in the final round-robin match played at The O2. But Schwartzman, who comes into the match 0-2, will hope that the “third time’s lucky” adage works in his favour. As he pointed out in his press conference after losing a tough three-setter to Alexander Zverev Wednesday, the Nitto ATP Finals is a uniquely difficult and sometimes cruel tournament.
[DATA DIVE]Everyone is a top player, so seeds don’t have the opportunity to work their way into the event. And at every other tournament, the worst thing that can happen to a player is a single loss, while in the season finale, an unlucky fellow could head home for the holidays with three losses in a week. But the beauty of the event is that players also have a chance to measure themselves against the world’s best, and they have an opportunity for redemption, even after multiple losses.
Medvedev, already 2-0, has won Group Tokyo 1970, and Schwartzman cannot advance to the semi-finals with a win Friday night. But Diego has an opportunity to escape the proverbial hangman’s noose with a win, which would net him 200 FedEx ATP Rankings points, $153,000, and a big boost of confidence heading home to Argentina.
Schwartzman said after his loss to Zverev that he was pleased to have staged a comeback bid after losing a lopsided first set. “I’m happy because
I almost did a good comeback,” said Schwartzman, 28. “The match was going all his way quickly in the first set and second set. Then I find a way to win the second set and fighting the third.”
Medvedev, 24, ranked No. 4, is flying high after notching convincing victories over Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic on the heels of winning the Rolex Paris Masters earlier this month. But he insisted that he wouldn’t overlook his final match.
“I finished number one in the group already, which is great,” he said. “Of course I’m going to try to win my third match.”
[WATCH LIVE 1]Medvedev has beaten the Argentine in all four of their ATP Head2Head encounters, dropping a set just once, at the ATP Cup in January. He’s especially good indoors, conditions which don’t naturally suit Diego. The Argentine jokingly lamented his tough draw and the long road he has ahead of him. After the tournament, he’ll return to Argentina and will then have — by his reckoning — 40 hours of flights to reach Australia for the Australian Open. Even for a man of 5’7”, all that airline travel will be a tribulation, but much less so if he winds up his season with an upset win over one of the hottest players on the Tour.
Briton Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram reach the ATP Finals last four for the first time, beating Germans Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies.
