ATP Finals: Zverev begins campaign with dominant win over Rublev

Turin:  Alexander Zverev kickstarted his hunt for a third ATP Finals trophy with a commanding victory. The second seed locked in to defeat Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4 to open his account at the season finale. Zverev, who won the title in 2018 and 2021, stood firm in the face of a fast start from Rublev to clinch his Tour-leading 67th win of 2024 in just 72 minutes. After improving to 7-3 in the pair’s ATP Head-2-Head series, the German will continue his hat-trick hunt against Casper Ruud, who earlier upset third seed Carlos Alcaraz in the John Newcombe Group. “I thought it was a very solid match from my end. Against anyone here, you have to play your best to have a chance, you have to be solid [and] mentally strong. I feel like I did that today, I felt like I used my chances quite well and I’m obviously happy with this win,” Zverev was quoted by ATP. Rublev came out firing as he raced through the first 13 points on his serve, according to ATP Stats. However, a slip in the seventh game allowed Zverev to seize the first break of the match. The German, known for his patience, waited for the right moment in the second set, breaking in the ninth game to extend his strong record in round-robin matches at the event (6-1). Zverev became the first player to beat Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at the Nitto ATP Finals in 2019. The 2024 edition marks the first time since 2001 that the ‘Big Three’ are not competing at the season finale. –IANS