• Groups: Nothing beats Tsitsipas, but stays out of the semifinals
  • ATP Finals.The final draw

London rewarded the intrepid character and determination of Stefanos Tsitsipas , who will play the final of the ATP Finals on Sunday in the year of his debut. The Greek lowered the suffix of Roger Federer , brilliant against Djokovic in the match that gave him the classification, to be imposed by 6-3 and 6-4, in one hour and 36 minutes. His opponent will be the winner of the match between Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem . "I am very proud of my game and in particular how I have faced so many adverse break balls," he said at the foot of the court.

After the magnificent game against Djokovic that gave him the pass to the semifinals, Federer was expected a lot, even more so without Nadal in the top four. The Swiss set on Thursday one of his best performances in recent years, projected by a very high percentage of first services. Before Tsitsipas everything was different. He had a start opportunity to break and take advantage. He did not take advantage of it and then it was he who gave the serve after missing two shots. Seventeen years separated the two semifinalists. Tsitsipas, 21, won against Federer, in the knockout stages of the last Australian Open, one of the most important victories of his still short career. The winner of 20 Grand Slam titles replied a few weeks ago by beating him by a double 6-4 in Basel, a tournament he won for the tenth time. In London, the Athens player sent another strong message about his more than promising horizon.

Federer only converted one of his 12 'break' balls

After a warm start, too cold, the game grew to reach a ninth game where both offered their best. Seven set points needed the Greek to endorse the partial, after Federer threatened him again twice. If in Melbourne he saw how Tsitsipas neutralized his 12 break options, on this occasion the hexacampeón of the ATP Finals left the first set without converting only one of his six opportunities and with very poor global balance of 1 of 12. Much to do with it the brave attitude of Tsitsipas, which gives a past to face such adversities.

He was a Federer far from the player who had won Djokovic again after four years, of the man who found a point of redemption to the trauma of having lost the Wimbledon final by letting two match points pass . Little effective with the service and very erratic with the right, he needed ten break balls to finally break his rival, 2-2, but he immediately delivered his serve next. The Greek is a colossus. In addition to playing like angels, he has a well-carved head; He was not intimidated either by his adversary's substance or by the heat of the stands, which once again sighed for the triumph of his idol to the cry of " Let's go, Roger, let's go! ". Tsitsipas keeps growing. At times he gave the impression that his ball pace was too much alive for Federer, which deepened the generational fracture. He is playing as he never has. It will be hard to stop him.

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