TURIN (The Thursday Times) — Alexander Zverev opened the Nitto ATP Finals on Sunday with a 6-4, 6-4 win over debutant Rafael Jodar, taking an early lead in the John McEnroe Group. The world No. 1 needed 87 minutes at the Inalpi Arena and never looked in danger on serve.
Zverev hit ten aces without a double fault, landed 84 per cent of his first serves and won 37 of the 43 points behind them. He faced two break points, both in the first set, and saved both. The win moved his season record to 66-18 and earned him 200 ranking points and $405,000.
A set built on serve
All ten aces came in the first set. Zverev broke once, in an 18-shot rally that ended with a backhand winner down the line for 4-3, then held to love for 5-3. Serving for the set at 5-4, he faced two break points and erased both, one with a ninth ace and a 137 mph serve, before closing it out at 6-4.
The second set followed the same pattern. Jodar, a 20-year-old Spaniard in his first appearance at the season-ending event, saved three of the four break points he faced, but Zverev broke once more and conceded none on his own serve.
Group still open
Zverev, a two-time champion, is playing the tournament for the ninth time and is trying to become the eighth man to win three ATP Finals titles. He arrived in Turin as year-end world No. 1 after a difficult few weeks, with Jannik Sinner absent through injury. The tournament draw placed him with Ben Shelton, Arthur Fils, and Jodar.
Shelton, the third seed, was due to play Fils, the sixth seed, in the group’s second match on Sunday. The top two players in each group advance to the semi-finals on Saturday, 21 November.
