In his inaugural appearance at the ATP Finals, Carlos Alcaraz found himself up against the formidable challenge of two-time champion Alexander Zverev from Germany. Zverev, a seasoned player making his sixth appearance at the prestigious year-end event, showcased a clean-hitting performance to secure victory with a scoreline of 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4 against the young Spaniard.
Having previously clinched the title in Turin in 2021 and in London in 2018, the 27-year-old German drew on his wealth of experience to navigate past Alcaraz and start his Red Group campaign with a 1-0 record on Monday, as reported by ATP.
Despite facing setbacks, such as squandering a break advantage in the first set, Zverev maintained a positive outlook. His depth and consistency in the second and third sets posed challenges for Alcaraz, whose game struggled to find its rhythm.
Zverev's effectiveness on serve and from the baseline was evident as he won an impressive 79 percent (59/75) of his first-serve points. Even after a momentary scare when he fell heavily on his left ankle in the third set, the World No. 7 demonstrated resilience, ultimately securing a 4-3 lead in their ATP Head-to-Head series after a battle lasting two hours and 32 minutes.
Having missed the event last year due to a right ankle injury sustained during the 2022 Roland Garros semi-final against Rafael Nadal, Zverev overcame physical challenges, including a left ankle incident in this match. His determination propelled him to a 13-8 record at the Nitto ATP Finals.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz, aiming for his seventh title of the season and first since Wimbledon in July, remains in contention in Turin. The 20-year-old, who skipped last year's event due to injury, holds the distinction of being the youngest player in the tournament's eight-man field. He aspires to emulate the feat of becoming the youngest champion at the ATP Finals since Pete Sampras in 1991, and his journey in the round-robin format keeps his aspirations alive in Turin.
(With Agency Inputs)
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