Federer to face debutant Zverev at ATP Tour Finals

Nadal hopes to recover from injury

LONDON, Nov 8, (RTRS): Sixtimes champion Roger Federer was paired in the same group as German debutant Alexander Zverev for next week’s ATP Tour Finals when the draw was made in host city London on Wednesday.

World number one Rafael Nadal, who is hoping to recover from a knee injury to play in the seasonending showpiece, heads the other group and will face Belgian David Goffin, Bulgarian debutant Grigor Dimitrov and Austrian Dominic Thiem. matches there.”

He is one of three first-timers with Dimitrov finally qualifying after being long-predicted to become a regular member of the men’s elite. Sock is the first American to qualify since Mardy Fish did so in 2011.

Goffin has qualified for the first time also, although last year he played a match as an alternate.

The draw, which took place on BBC Radio, was delayed because Boris Becker, who Nadal’s group is named after, was held up by traffic on his way to the studio.

Several big names are missing this year through injury including 2016 winner Andy Murray, four-times London winner Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka.

The draw (world ranking in parentheses):

Federer

Pete Sampras Group

Roger Federer - Switzerland (2) Alexander Zverev - Germany (3) Marin Cilic - Croatia (5) Jack Sock - US (9)

Boris Becker Group

Rafael Nadal - Spain (1) Dominic Thiem - Austria (4) Grigor Dimitrov - Bulgaria (6) David Goffin - Belgium (8)