Zverev beats Nadal at ATP Finals
November 11, 2019
Alexander Zverev beat world No. 1 Rafael Nadal at the ATP Finals opener on Monday, getting the defense of his title off to the perfect start.
The German, who has endured a difficult year, including splits from both his coach and agent, was in top form against a lackluster Nadal, defeating the Spaniard 6-2 6-4.
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Zverev takes early lead
Nadal, who has traditionally struggled at the annual event in London, was possibly feeling the aftereffects of a troublesome hand injury he first picked up at the Laver Cup in September, that then flared up once more in Shanghai last month.
Nevertheless, the match seemed evenly balanced at two games all in the first set before Zverev won six games in a row. He then took an early lead in the second set, from which Nadal wasn't able to recover.
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Given the round-robin nature of this event, all is not lost for the Mallorca-born player, who will play Russia's Daniil Medvedev on Wednesday in a must-win match for both players.
Zverev, meanwhile, will be feeling confident after defeating Nadal for the first time in his career. The seventh seed will face Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in the evening match on Wednesday.