World number 7 Alexander Zverev needed to beat Novak Djokovic to secure his spot in the semifinals of the ATP Finals in London. However, the Serbian world number 1 player beat his younger German rival 6-3 7-6 (7-4) to set up a semifinal clash against 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem.
Zverev finished Group Tokyo 1970 with a 1-2 record after his loss against Djokovic.
“Novak served incredibly well today. I had to do very far back to return his serve to return his serve. I started to play very well in the second set but credits to him. A few points decided the set. He is doing an incredible job”, said Zverev.
During the 2020 season Zverev reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open before losing to Dominic Thiem. At last September’s US Open he became the youngest Grand Slam finalist since Djokovic at the 2010 US Open and the first German US Open finalist since Michael Stich in 1994.
Zverev squandered a two-set lead for the first time in his career against Dominic Thiem in the US Open final. Zverev then claimed two back-to-back titles in Cologne and lost the Paris Bercy final against Danil Medvedev. He finished the season with a 28-11 record and a fourth consecutive year-end top-10 finish in the ATP Rankings.
“You want to put yourself in those positions every time. The US Open match still hurts, but all the other ones, it’s great that I am playing at this level again. If it would be a normal Ranking, a normal year, I think I would be much higher up the Rankings than I am still now. Still, it was a good year and there is a lot to build on for next year. Unfortunately I lost a lot of big matches. I lost in the semifinals in Australia. I lost the final of the US Open which I should have won, kind of final in Bercy”, said Zverev.
