The world No. 3 secures a key victory for his ATP Finals campaign by saving three set points in a match that was not just smooth sailing.
Some lope-sided head2heads end up freezing into an axiom, an infrangible curse.
The second match of the Bjorn Borg Group featured the fifth match between Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton, with the German having won the previous four dropping one only set. Unblemished records as Sinner De Minaur 12-0, Djokovic Fritz 11-0 may still be far away, yet figures do often stand out as narrative.
Tonight when Shelton rose to a 63 lead in the second set tiebreak with the chance to play his first two set points on serve, a new story seemed about to unfold. It was not to be.
Zverev erased the first with a backhand passing shot down the line which stunned the American who had – rightly – chosen to barge to the net. The second set point vanished with a netted forehand – one of the many throughout the match – by Shelton.
Zverev saved the third set point despite hitting a quivering second serve at 75 mph km, but Shelton squandered his return into the net and one minute later was facing a match point. He got entangled in a 19-shot rally, which was inevitably won by Zverev.
Throughout the match Shelton did display some catchy panache but was basically unable to keep up with the automatic pilot consistency of the German, who won 30 of the 49 baseline rallies.
In the whole match Zverev only lost 10 points on serve. Shelton has claimed he has improved his return of serve. Facing Zverev in this domain is no easy task, especially if his first serve percentage reads 81%, with only ten points lost overall on serve. But this means that the few chances which may trickle out must be grabbed.
The young American had started the match boldly, aggressive in his gameplay and eager to shorten points by close into the net. Yet, as it frequently happens, he crammed unforced errors into one single game and lost his serve in a reckless fifth game, overhitting forehands and attempting tentative dropshots.
In half an hour Zverev pocketed the first set 63, snatching a second break.
Shelton altogether found more consistency in the second set. After surviving two break points in a nine-minute fourth game, he hung on. Though struggling more than the Zverev to hold his service games, he reached the tiebreaker, where he set up his chances to turn the match round.
“He played amazingly at the beginning of the tiebreak so I had to give him credit.” said Zverev in the on-court interview. “I felt I was playing well enough. With his serve it’s always in his hands if you win the points or not. I stayed patient. I did well the things I had control over and I’m super happy with the win today.”
