Clinical Zverev beats Rublev to kick off ATP Finals campaign
The world No 2 defeated Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4 in the pair’s opening group match at the 2024 ATP Finals
Alexander Zverev, ATP Finals, 2024 Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse/Shutterst/SIPA
Alexander Zverev began his bid for a third ATP Finals title in ruthless style, sweeping past Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4 in Turin in just 72 minutes.
It was a clinical and professional performance from the German, who took both of his two break point opportunities to undo an opponent who otherwise did very little wrong.
Rublev started excellently, only dropping his first points behind serve as late as his fourth service game with the scores at 3-3. But they were expensive points to drop, with Zverev converting his first break point at 15-40 to nudge into the lead before serving out the first set three games later.
The Russian’s serving statistics were superior to Zverev’s in the opening set, with Rublev landing 83% of his first serves compared to 69% for the German. Yet that momentary blip in the seventh game was a ruthless demonstration of how effectively small lapses can be punished at this level.
It was a very similar story in the second set, with both players holding serve comfortably until the ninth and penultimate game of the contest when Zverev again pounced on his first break points of the set to convert at the first opportunity.
He then clinched a business-like victory with an ace in the next game to ensure a winning start to his 2024 ATP Finals campaign.
“I thought it was a very solid match from my end,” Zverev said in his on-court interview.
“Against the best players in the world… you have to play your best to have a chance. You have to be solid, you have to be mentally strong.
“I think I did that and I feel like I used my chances well, and I’m happy with this win.”
superb zverev simply too strong for rublev
To say Zverev used his chances well is something of an understatement. The world No 2 converted both of the two break point opportunities he was given, while neither his first nor his second serve win percentage dropped below 80%.
He was imperious in every area, and Rublev will leave his first match at this year’s tournament wondering what more he could have done, bar ironing out those two fleeting dips in level that Zverev so surgically punished.
“Many things I need to do to get to that level,” was Rublev’s response when asked about how to close the gap between himself and the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
“I’m trying. I’m getting better. Today I think was a great example that I can have a great mindset and play good tennis. Then there is the details like serve, return, some approaches, game at the net, stuff like that, that it takes time.
“But we’re doing that, so, it just will take time. I cannot improve it tomorrow. I wish,” he continued, smiling.
The Russian has now lost ten consecutive sets at the ATP Finals, a run stretching back to his loss to Casper Ruud in 2022, but will know that he still has a chance to progress, with two matches against Alcaraz and Ruud to come.
Zverev, meanwhile, looks in ominous form at an event he has won twice before already, and he arrives into the competition having clinched the Paris Masters title just last week – another major indoor hard-court tournament that would have provided the perfect build-up to the season-ending finale.
There is a lot of tennis still to be played in Turin. But Zverev has laid down an early marker tonight, underlining his status as one of the leading names for this year’s ATP Finals title.
