Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter here, living the dream in Miami. Today, I’m super excited to share some big news from the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy. The world no. 2, Alexander Zverev, has made a strong statement by defeating world no. 8 Andrey Rublev in a thrilling match that left everyone on the edge of their seats.
Zverev’s victory was nothing short of impressive. He played flawless tennis on serve, firing 21 service winners and dropping only ten points in ten service games. His serve was rock-solid, and he faced no break points throughout the match. On the return, he turned 31% of the return points into two breaks from as many opportunities, controlling the scoreboard with ease and sailing over the top.
The match started off with six comfortable holds before Zverev made his move. In game six, he landed a service winner for a hold at 15 and made a push on the return in the next one. The Russian missed a forehand at 3-3, offering Zverev two break chances. He sprayed another forehand error on the first, losing serve and falling 4-3 behind. Zverev clinched the eighth game with a forehand winner and landed an unreturned serve at 5-4 to wrap up the opener in 34 minutes.
In the second set, Rublev served well but couldn’t match Zverev’s consistency. The German clinched the sixth game with a forehand drive-volley winner and locked the result at 4-4 with a powerful serve two games later. Rublev lost his focus in the ninth game, netting a forehand and facing two break points. He sprayed a routine forehand error on the first, falling 5-4 behind and allowing Zverev to serve for the win. The German hit a smash winner for 30-15 and generated match points with a backhand down the line winner. He fired an ace down the T line on the first, sealing the deal in style and earning 200 ATP points.
Zverev’s victory means he has joined Casper Ruud at the top of the group standings, setting himself up for a strong run in the tournament. This win is especially significant as Zverev is seeking his third ATP Finals trophy, having won it in 2018 and 2021.
If you want, you can check out the news where I found it here.
Yours truly,
Mia
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