The final ATP tournament of the season will kick off in London on Sunday. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic have long dominated the ATP Finals. The trio has consistently qualified for the tournament in the last 15 years. While they will again feature in London, a few young players will be making their debuts at the tournament.
Alexander Zverev vs. Roger Federer
The German has fared better against Federer in his career. He holds a 4-3 record in matches against the Swiss player. The 22-year-old had will be making his third appearance in the finals. He won the title last year after a spectacular run at the tournament. Alexander defeated Federer in the semifinal before overcoming Djokovic in the final.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, and Matteo Berrettini will play at the end of season tournament for the first time in their careers. They are the latest indication that a change of guard may be coming in the next few years. The player who has been leading the charge for the young players is Alexander Zverev.
Zverev and Federer’s exhibitions in South America
The two are in separate groups in London but could play in the semifinals depending on results at the tournament. After the finals, they will travel to Latin America for a series of exhibition matches. The world No.7 will play his first match in London against Nadal. He has never won a match against the 19-time Grand Slam champion in their five career meetings.
About Medvedev challenging Nadal in the US Open final
With this year’s tournament featuring more young players, Zverev is predicting an end to the dominance of the “Big Three.” He feels that the new players will usher in a new era of tennis. Zverev says that there will be many surprises in the next few seasons as the young players continue to improve. In a recent interview, the 22-year-old said, “Daniil [Medvedev], with the year he has had, has been amazing, but it’s maybe been a little bit of a surprise for people. I think we’ll see more surprises to come.”
In addition to the debutants at the finals in London, the world No.7 has been impressed with young Canadian, Denis Shapovalov. The 20-year-old reached the finals of the Paris Masters last week but lost to Djokovic. Shapovalov defeated Zverev in the second round of the tournament. The German player was impressed with the Canadian’s game and feels he will be a threat at major tournaments in the near future.
Alexander Zverev’s ranking and performance in 2019
Ranked no.7, Alexander played his last match on the 31st of October when he was overcome by Denis Shapovalov 6-2 5-7 6-2 in the 3rd round in Paris.
This year Zverev has a 39-22 win-loss record. Zverev conquered 1 title in Geneva. Zverev was the finalist in Acapulco and in Shanghai.
Denis Shapovalov’s ranking and performance in 2019
Ranked no.15 (career-high), the Canadian played his last match on the 3rd of November when he capitulated to Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-4 in the final in Paris.
This year Shapovalov has a 33-25 win-loss record. Shapovalov has won 1 title in Stockholm. Shapovalov was the finalist in Paris.
Alexander Zverev and Denis Shapovalov played each other 4 times. The head to head is 3-1 for Zverev.
The last time that they played, Denis Shapovalov won 6-2 5-7 6-2 in the 3rd round in Paris on the 31st October 2019.
Here the highlights.
Alexander Zverev and Denis Shapovalov |
| Embed from Getty Images |
