CHAMP ZVEREV SAYS ‘THIS IS JUST FOR STARTERS’
Since his Masters win, he’s suffered injury, loss of form and a Ryder Cup horror show, but as he celebrates victory with family in Dubai...DAN’S THE MAN AGAIN
DANNY WILLETT embraced his wife Nicole and young boys after his first win since the Masters at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
The Yorkshireman was the last player to arrive at Augusta in 2016 following the birth of his first son Zach – and he won his first Major title (top, right).
Since then, the former world No.9 has suffered injury problems, a loss of form and a Ryder Cup nightmare as he slumped to world No.462.
He made only one cut in the first five months of this year as he rebuilt his swing with Tiger ALEXANDER ZVEREV turned the jeers to cheers at the O2 as he beat Novak Djokovic to claim the biggest title of his young career.
And the first German to win the Nitto ATP Finals since Boris Becker showed he has the ‘Becks Factor’ to be the sport’s next Woods’ former swing guru Sean Foley.
But 952 long days since putting on the Green Jacket and now playing pain-free, Willett held off this year’s Masters winner Patrick Reed and Matt Wallace to seal his comeback win by two shots before meeting his family behind the 18th green.
As he fought back tears, the Sheffield star said: “You never quite know when a win is around the corner and with all the things that have happened, I was never quite sure if it was going to happen again.
“It has been a lot of hard work, it has been tough. superstar by celebrating with David Beckham.
The world No.5 was booed after beating Roger Federer in his controversial semi-final victory. But the 21-year-old became the new crowd darling by winning his generation game with the world No.1 6-4 6-3.
Zverev gave notice he will We’ve battled long and hard this season to come out at the end, regardless of what happened today, a better person and a better athlete. It’s a special place.
“After everything that’s happened this will go compete for Grand Slams in 2019 after this stunning performance where be broke Djokovic’s serve four times.
“This is the biggest title I have won in my career so far and I hope this is just the beginning,” he said. “I want to get better and win more.”
He becomes the first down for myself as one of the most pleasing.” Starting the final round level with Reed, Willett raced three shots clear before bogeys at 10 and 12. He responded with birdies at 14, 15 and 17 before a heart-stopping moment on the 18th when his drive stopped just on the edge of the creek. “I always say if you are going to win tournaments you need to have a few breaks go your way,” said Willett, who climbs back into the top 100.
“But I am most proud of player since Andy Murray at the 2012 Olympics – and only the fourth ever – to beat both Federer and Djokovic in the last four of a tournament.
Zverev has also employed the Scot’s old coach Ivan Lendl to transform him from a challenger to a champion.
The German has added AFTER winning the Masters in 2016 Willett finished the year ranked 11th. A difficult, injury-plagued 2017 saw him end the year at 117 in how I handled myself emotionally. You draw on a lot of things.
“You think of shots I hit around Augusta and how you felt there, how your hands were shaking, how your nerves were holing a few of them little slippery six-footers and we had a few of them today.”
Reed birdied the final hole to finish tied second and overtake Tommy Fleetwood in the Race to Dubai standings.
The Southport star needed to win to have a chance of catching his friend Francesco Molinari (left, circled) but finished eight shots behind Willett in tied 16th.
New European No.1 Molinari said: “It’s more than I ever dreamed of achieving.” power to his forehand and serve – and Lendl urged him to deploy more aggressive tactics than in his roundrobin defeat by Djokovic.
Former British No.1 Greg Rusedski said: “It is the Lendl factor.
“It was the missing piece in the puzzle to get him to believe in himself.” 462nd