Zverev caps season with biggest win
LONDON— Despite beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets to win the ATP Finals at only 21, Alexander Zverev knows keeping pace with the Serb isn’t going to be easy.
Zverev claimed the biggest title of his career with a 6-4, 6-3 upset on Sunday, becoming the youngest champion of the season-ending event since Djokovic claimed the first of his five titles a decade ago — also at age 21.
“Oh my God,” said Zverev, who also became the first German winner since 1995. “I’ve won one (year-end title). He’s won five. He’s won, I don’t know what, 148 titles more than me. Let’s not go there for now. I hope I can do great ... but just chill out a little bit.”
Top-ranked Djokovic was attempting to tie Roger Federer’s record of six titles but followed the same path as the Swiss great, who lost to Zverev in the semifinals at the O2 Arena in London.
Djokovic’s serve hadn’t been broken all tournament until the final. Zverev did it once in the first set and three times in the second, completing the victory with a spectacular backhand winner up the line.
“There’s a lot of similarities in terms of trajectory ... in our careers,” said Djokovic, who ended a two-year Grand Slam title drought by winning Wimble- don this year, before going on to claim his 14th major trophy at the U.S. Open.
“Hopefully he (Zverev) can surpass me.”
Both players began the match in the same form that had seen them earn straight-sets semifi- nal victories a day earlier, with few points going against the server.
It was Djokovic, who had lost just two of his previous 37 matches and defeated Zverev in the round robin, who began to feel the pressure as consecutive forehand errors gave up his first break of the tournament for 5-4.
Fans gave Zverev a huge ovation as he stepped up to serve for the set, and it appeared to inspire him.
Three straight aces brought up three set points, the second of which he took when Djokovic sent another forehand long. “I was making way too many unforced errors,” Djokovic said. “From 4-4 in the first set, my game really fell apart.”
“This trophy means a lot, everything,” Zverev said. “You only have so many chances of winning it. You play against the best players only.”