ATP Finals: Djokovic to face Zverev for title clash
Djokovic will battle for the ATP Finals summit clash against youngster Alexander Zverev, who is touted to be the next big superstar. Everyone was expecting a Djokovic-Federer finale, but credit to Alexander for overcoming the Swiss ace in a thriller at London's O2 Arena. Djokovic beat Kevin Anderson in straight sets and would now want to end the year on a high.
Zverev beats Federer 7-5, 7-6
Federer vying for his 100th career title and a first ATP Finals trophy since 2011, will have to wait till 2019. The 21-year-old Zverev triumphed 7-5, 7-6 on the night to defeat the 20-time Grand Slam champion. With the ATP Finals considered to be a prestigious trophy, Zverev will be hoping to produce his best game to have a chance of overcoming Djokovic.
Moment of controversy erupted in Zverev-Federer encounter
There was a moment of controversy when the German youngster legitimately stopped a point during a tie-breaker as a ball boy dropped a tennis ball. He had to face boos after the match ended. Alexander apologized to both Federer and the fans post the match. "I apologized to Roger at the net already, he said it is OK and it is in the rules."
Ruthless Djokovic sweeps aside Anderson
Meanwhile, Djokovic showed his ruthless side to dispatch South Africa's Kevin Anderson. He swept past Anderson 6-2, 6-2 in straight sets. Djokovic had earlier beaten Anderson at the Wimbledon 2018 finale. This is the Serb's 7th final this year. The 14-time Slam champion hasn't dropped a single set in the ATP Finals this year. His impeccable serving was the major focus of the match.
Djoker goes into finale as firm favorite
Djokovic gets into the final as the clear favorite. He had beaten Zverev 6-4, 6-1 in the round-robin stage. Prior to that, Djokovic also beat the German in the semis of the Shanghai Open. "He had a great match today against Roger and he has been serving well, so it will be a similar approach as today," said the world number one Djokovic.
Trophy for Djokovic would be a remarkable achievement
Another victory for Djokovic would help him seal a trophy yet again. It has been a remarkable year for the Serb in which he came back from the gruesome elbow surgery. Djokovic won two Slams in 2018 (Wimbledon and the US Open). He also returned to the top of the world rankings for the first time after a gap of 2 years.
When and where to watch the finale?
The Djokovic versus Alexander battle is scheduled for 11:30 PM IST kick-off. The match can be watched live on the Sony Ten Network and can be streamed on the Sony Liv app.