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ATP Finals 2018: Novak Djokovic teaches Alexander Zverev a valuable lesson

Djokovic saw off a spirited challenge from Zverev: Action Images via Reuters
Djokovic saw off a spirited challenge from Zverev: Action Images via Reuters

A spirited but brief challenge from Alexander Zverev was not enough to hold back Novak Djokovic as the world No.1 cruised to victory in the ATP Finals.

The 6-4, 6-1 scoreline perhaps fails to reflect how close Zverev pushed the best player in the field early on, but it also speaks to a remarkable collapse that saw the young German throw away five games in a matter of minutes as an engaging contest ended in another one-sided win at The O2.

For Zverev to win his tennis had to be near faultless, and in the early games it quite possibly was as he rained in first serve after first serve, hitting speeds of 140mph-plus. Even the greatest returner in tennis history can’t do much when the ball is fizzing towards him at such velocity.

Indeed if anyone looked like claiming the upper hand in an absorbing first set it was the 21-year-old, who twice had the chance to break in the ninth game. It was then that Djokovic raised the barricades, holding firm before exerting pressure the very next game.

Zverev didn’t make it any easier for himself, allowing five of 18 unforced errors to slip into his battle to stay in the set. The decisive one would be his first double fault, an egregious way for an impressive battle against two previous set points to end.

Zverev has withstood a barrage of pressure from Djokovic to get an early foothold in the set but the experience left him drained, certainly mentally if not physically. The youngster’s fire and energy turned inwards as he berated himself on a point-by-point basis.

A string of tired shots, especially on the backhand, allowed the world No.1 to race into a 4-1 lead - and from then on there was no way back for Zverev. For 45 minutes he had offered hope of a first real contest of the week, but once more the O2 crowd were heading home comfortably in time to beat the rush-hour traffic.

Djokovic offered a note of apology to the crowd, saying: “I don’t think it was breathtaking tennis from both of us to be honest.

Zverev faded in the second set (PA)
Zverev faded in the second set (PA)

"I played well from midway through the second set but I didn’t serve that great and he obviously made a lot of unforced errors that allowed me to win.

“Especially in the second set he wasn’t really at his best.”