Atp Finals, Zverev beats Djokovic and is in the final in Turin

by our correspondent Federica Cocchi

November 20
– TORINO

And so it will not be number 1 against number 2 but number 2 against number 3. Novak Djokovic stops in the semifinals and leaves the honor of fighting for the title of the Atp Finals in Sascha Zverev who wins in three sets 7-6 4-6 6-3. A nice match with a very solid Zverev and a slightly less centered Nole than usual.

The match

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It is Novak Djokovic’s first break point, which is also a set point, in the 10th game with Zverev serving a nice backhand from the Djoker line strikes the German who then saves himself with a winning 5-5 serve. In the next game it is Sascha who goes 30-0 on the service of the number 1 and gains two chances for the 6-5 but nothing to do. In turn, the German is saved in the next game from 0-30 and earns the tie break. A double fault from Djokovic puts Zverev in a 3-2 lead and serve. After a long exchange, a beautiful backhand down the line brings Zverev a set point. Response on the net by Nole and 1-0 for the Olympic champion. In the second set you have to wait for the ninth game to see the first break point and it is the prerogative of Novak, the danger is disintegrated with an ace but it recurs and this time the bombshell comes back between his feet: 5-4 and service for Djokovic who asks for artificial tears for contact lenses in the field change. He does not take advantage of three set points Nole who closes in the fourth to take an even set. It starts all over again. With Zverev climbing 15-40 in the 4th game and breaking the serve from the Serbian up to 4-1. never give up for dead someone who has won 20 Grand Slams, and in fact Nole insinuates himself into Sascha’s certainties, wins an opportunity for the counterbreak. Fear is breathed like the fog that envelops the Alpitour shovel, but in the end Zverev is saved and settles on 5-2 to close 6-3 and make an appointment with Medvedev.

Theirs was the fifth challenge of the year, the eleventh since 2017. Four years ago their first meeting was the final of the Internationals, at the Foro Italico, and the then twenty-year-old Sascha raised the title of Rome. They faced each other in an edition of the Nitto Atp Finals which for years had not had such a noble framework of semi-finalists. Of the four this year, in fact, three had won the “Masters” tournament: Novak Djokovic who is even at 5, Sascha Zverev, who triumphed in 2018 and the reigning champion Daniil Medvedev who has already reached his place in final by beating Casper Ruud in the afternoon. The last time a similar situation occurred it was in 1994, 27 years ago. Zverev and Medvedev had not yet been born and Andre Agassi, Boris Becker and Pete Sampras had reached the final stage, with Sergi Bruguera the only infiltrator.

It closes on Sunday

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At 5 pm the final of these first Nitto Atp Finals in Turin with Daniil Medvedev who will try to confirm the title of London 2020, the German who will also try to reach 2 titles in the Finals after that of 2018.