Djokovic into semis after dismissing Zverev at ATP Finals
LONDON: Novak Djokovic booked his as the world number one dispatched
Djokovic is chasing a sixth ATP Finals title and his first in the prestigious season-ending event at London’s O2 Arena since 2015.
In his 11th appearance at the Finals, the Serb was guaranteed to reach the last four for the eighth time after Marin Cilic beat John Isner 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 6-4 in Wednesday’s second match.
Djokovic, who beat Isner in his opening group-stage match, has enjoyed a remarkable renaissance in the second half of 2018 and lifting the trophy on the banks of the River Thames would be the perfect
Djokovic faces Cilic in his last group match on Friday, while Zverev, who defeated Cilic to kick off his Finals campaign, takes on Isner.
The 31-year-old was assailed by claims he had lost his hunger for success and was past his best after injury and personal issues threatened to derail his career in 2017.
But Djokovic has banished his demons in spectacular style, winning the Wimbledon and US Open titles, returning to world number one and becoming the
1,000 tournaments.
I played well midway through the second set and started to swing through the ball,” said Djokovic, who has suffered only two defeats in the Finals since 2012.
his percentage dropped in the second set. That allowed me to step in. He made a lot of unforced errors, which helped me to win.
“I am going to enjoy some quality time with my family and then get ready for the last game in the group.”
Zverev is emerging as one of the Tour’s brightest young stars after
Thunderous
The 21-year-old shocked Djokovic Serb was on top when they met in
last month and it was the same story again in their third meeting.
Zverev was able to keep Djokovic at bay with his thunderous serve
Neither player faced a break two in the ninth, Djokovic found a way to scramble out of trouble on both occasions.
It was a crucial escape for the 14time Grand Slam champion, who stepped up the pressure on Zverev
Zverev saved a pair of set points with an overhead smash and a bullet serve, but Djokovic wouldn’t back down and a double- fault - dered the set.
The high- quality encounter reached a crescendo when Djokovic pummelled Zverev into submission in the fourth game of the second set.
A series of blistering groundstrokes from the Serb kept Zverev pinned back and, while he battled gamely, the pressure eventually told as Djokovic broke.
That was the signal for Djokovic to sprint to victory and he broke again in the sixth game before completing an impressive statement of intent.
Djokovic had to wait a few hours to learn of his progress to nine of his previous 10 matches at the Finals, and he looked in danger of another letdown when he
But Cilic, whose only other Finals victory came against Kei Nishikori in 2016, had other ideas as he roared
“I started to feel the ball really well in the second set. I was playing great tennis towards the end,” Cilic said.
Cilic’s revival keeps him in with a chance of qualifying for the semi-