ATP Finals: Zverev beats Djokovic, will face Medvedev in final
What's the story
Germany's Alexander Zverev beat world number one Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals. He won 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3 to set up a finale with Russia's Daniil Medvedev. Zverev claimed his second victory against Djokovic this year after defeating the Serbian in the Tokyo Games semi-finals. Notably, Zverev had defeated Djokovic to win the ATP finals in 2018.
Context
Why does it matter?
Beating Djokovic, who is presently the leader in the ATP Rankings, is no mean feat. And, Zverev has already done this twice this year. The latter has been in top form in the ongoing season, having won the joint-most titles (5) with Djokovic and Casper Ruud. Notably, Zverev lost to Medvedev (his opponent in the final) in the ATP Finals round-robin match.
Bid
Zverev ends Djokovic's bid of winning sixth ATP Finals title
Zverev ended Djokovic's bid of matching legend Roger Federer in terms of ATP Finals titles. The Serbian has won the season-end championships five times, the joint-second-most with Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras. He won the title in 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Besides, he was the runner-up in 2016 (lost to Andy Murray) and 2018 (lost to Zverev).
Zverev
Zverev wins his 58th match in the season
Zverev now has a win-loss record of 58-15 in the season, where he won two Masters 1000 titles (Cincinnati and Madrid). In August, Zverev achieved the biggest win of his career by clinching gold at the Tokyo Olympics. Notably, Zverev has won 31 of his last 35 matches. The 2018 ATP finals champion has qualified for his second final in this tournament.
H2H
Zverev claims his fourth win against Djokovic
Zverev claimed his fourth win against Djokovic. However, the latter still leads the head-to-head series 7-4. He downed Zverev in the semi-finals of the US Open. Before that, Zverev overcame the Serbian in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics semi-finals. Prior to his Tokyo win, Zverev was win-less against Djokovic in five consecutive matches. Zverev defeated Djokovic in 2018 to win the ATP Finals.
Twitter Post
Here are the notable numbers
#NittoATPFinals Championship Match Stats
— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) November 20, 2021
* 1st F without player over 25 since 2005 (@NalbandianDavid d. @RogerFederer)
* 1st F between ex-champs since 2015 (@DjokerNole d. Federer)
* @AlexZverev bids to become 1st player to beat World No. 1 2 in SF F since @AndreAgassi in '90
Clash
Zverev to face Medvedev in the final
Zverev, who finished second in the Red Group, will face Medvedev in the grand finale. The German has lost just one match till now, to Medvedev. On the other hand, the latter is the only unbeaten player in the ongoing ATP Finals. He has extended his winning streak at the ATP Finals to nine. Medvedev was the undefeated champion in the 2020 edition.