The 21-year-old, the first Greek player to qualify for the elite eight-man season-ender, backed up his opening round-robin win over Daniil Medvedev with another virtuoso performance at the O2 Arena and is yet to lose a set.
His emphatic victory secured a top-two place in the group and left Zverev, world number one Rafael Nadal and Medvedev scrapping to join him in tomorrow’s semi-finals.
A year ago Tsitsipas was winning the NextGen title in Milan — the ATP’s showcase event for up-and-coming players — and in his two matches so far in London he has bolstered the impression that he has the game to start collecting Grand Slam titles.
His swashbuckling all-court game, with a booming serve, aggressive groundstrokes, deft volleys and silky movement have made him an instant crowd favourite at the O2 Arena.
All those weapons were on display against Zverev in what was the youngest, in terms of combined age, match at the ATP Finals since Andy Murray played Juan Martin del Potro in 2009.
Zverev’s last three matches at the O2 were straight sets victories over Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Nadal — a trio with 55 Grand Slam titles between them.
But the form of Monday’s group-stage win over Nadal deserted him as Tsitsipas, with whom he is said to have a frosty relationship, beat him for the fourth time in five matches.
Tsitsipas broke in the eighth game when Zverev opted to follow in a weak second serve and made a mess of a low volley.
From that point on it was one-way traffic.
Zverev’s level tailed off alarmingly in the second set and Tsitsipas wrapped things up with an ace.
Tsitsipas later revealed he had needed a painkilling injection in a foot injury.
Yet despite having already reached the semis, he will not take his foot off the gas against Nadal today when he could knock the Spaniard out.
“I’m going to give it my all. I’m going to try to give my soul, and I think it’s also a very good challenge for me in order to prepare for more difficult matches in the semi-finals,” he said. “It’s going to educate me, and I’m going to try to get and absorb as much as I can from that.”
Berrettini signs off with
victory over Thiem
Matteo Berrettini became the first Italian to win a match in ATP Finals history as he signed off with a 7-6(3) 6-3 defeat of off-colour Dominic Thiem at the O2 Arena yesterday.
The afternoon tussle was a little flat as Thiem had already sealed a place in the semi-finals after group wins against Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, while Berrettini could not progress.
But the powerful 23-year-old Berrettini, making his debut at the tournament, produced some eye-catching tennis to make sure he heads home with a morale-boosting win.
The 200 ranking points and $215,000 for the group stage win capped a stunning year for Berrettini who was outside the top 50 in January but will end the season ranked eighth.
The only other Italians to qualify for the elite season-ender were Corrado Barazzutti in 1978 and Adriano Panatta in 1975 and neither managed to win a match.
Berrettini served for the first set at 5-4 after breaking the Thiem serve to love in the previous game, but a netted volley handed back the break. The Italian dominated the tiebreak and grew in confidence in the second set as Thiem, suffering with a cold, failed to repeat the dazzling form he displayed when beating Djokovic in a three-set thriller on Tuesday.
A running backhand pass gave him a break for 4-2 in the second set and he closed out the win in dominant fashion.
Despite losing, Thiem has won the group and will be joined in the semi-finals by either Djokovic or Federer who clash for the 49th time in an evening blockbuster.
