The 2019 Nitto ATP Finals is now down to its last two. However, neither is part of the Big 3, which is not what many SBOBET tennis fans expected heading into the tournament.
Instead of getting the legendary veterans Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer in the final, Greek debutant Stefanos Tsitsipas will go up against Dominic Thiem in a battle of two up-and-coming young stars in the sport.
Both are coming off impressive wins in the semi-finals. Tsitsipas disposed of Federer, who made it to the semis after winning his do-or-die duel with Djokovic in their last group game. Meanwhile, Thiem took care of defending champion Alexander Zverev.
With two first-timers making it into the finals, the ATP Finals is guaranteed to have a first-time winner for the fourth year in a row. And if their form this year is anything to go by, it might be the first of many trips to the season-ending finals for these two rising young tennis stars.
Stefanos Tsitsipas ousts Roger Federer in straight sets
Stefanos Tsitsipas’ sensational 2019 just got even better as the 21-year-old Greek ousted 38-year-old Roger Federer in their semi-final matchup in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.
Tsitsipas saved break point in the very first game of the match and got up to a quick 2-0 lead after breaking Federer in the next game. He never looked back after that, as he saved six break points in the first set and 11 of 12 in the match.
Federer’s sloppiness throughout cost him dearly as Tsitsipas capitalised on his opportunities to bring down the legend.
After the match, Tsitsipas was understandably overcome with emotion after achieving his childhood dream and defeating one of the players he looked up to as a youth.
“I grew up watching Roger here at the ATP Finals and Wimbledon and other finals,” he said. “I wished one day I could face him and today I’m here living the dream. I remember myself being one of the kids here watching the event and I could never picture myself here. But it can happen.”
Tsitsipas’ win was his second on Tour in four meetings against Federer, all of them coming this year. He famously knocked out Federer in the Australian Open round of 16 as he made it all the way to the semi-finals.
Federer’s season ends with four titles but no Grand Slams. However, he remains confident he can still compete at the highest level despite his advancing age.
“I’ve got to keep on playing at the level like I have this year, and then I will create some chances,” he said. “[Opportunities] were there today … They were there in other moments as well this season … But I’m happy how I played this season, and I’m extremely excited for next season.”
Dominic Thiem knocks off defending champion Alexander Zverev
Tstisipas is off to meet Dominic Thiem, who booked his ticket to the final with a 7-5, 6-3 win over defending champion Alexander Zverev.
Thiem had some struggles with first serve — he converted just 42 of 71 first serves (59 per cent) — but he won 81 per cent of those first-serve points and 59 per cent of his second serves. He also converted two of his five break-point opportunities, while Zverev was unable to win any of his four.
The Austrian didn’t hide his delight after achieving another major career feat.
“This is just a big, big dream coming true for me. It is one of the best tournaments all year, one of the most prestigious tournaments all year, and I’m getting the chance to play the final tomorrow. It’s unreal to me. To beat the defending champion, a good player, an unbelievable player, this is always a great achievement and I’m very, very happy,” Thiem said.
Thiem’s Nitto ATP Finals results have been quite remarkable. He started off the tournament defeating both Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Those wins saw him through to the semi-finals, which meant he could afford to lose his final group match to Matteo Berrettini.
Thiem has already claimed five titles this season, three on hard court. He won one of those titles against Tsitsipas in Beijing. Thiem holds the 4-2 edge over Tsitsipas in career head-to-heads, with three coming on hard court.
But despite Thiem’s edge in wins, the Nitto ATP Finals 2019 betting still figures to be very close, with both players in fine form heading into the final.
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