German prospect Alexander Zverev only managed to beat his racquet on Monday (January 21) as the highly-regarded fourth seed was dumped out of the Australian Open on Monday (January 21) by big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic in a surprisingly one-sided 6-1 6-1 7-6(5) fourth round triumph.

Zverev has emerged as one of the brightest stars in men's tennis after victories over Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic en route to an ATP Finals triumph in November, but the 21-year-old German remains unable to find his best form at Grand Slams.

Following 20-year-old Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas' win over Federer on Sunday (January 20), the towering, shaggy-haired Zverev needed to prove he also has the temperament to match his talent and help lead the next generation against the established order.

"This is one of many tournaments. You can't really compete every single week saying you made semis there or quarters there, beat that," Zverev, who has yet to progress beyond the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam, told reporters.

Zverev started well against 16th seed Raonic with a break in the first game, but he was then broken six times in the first two sets before the Canadian converted his fourth match point in a tight third set to seal the contest in less than two hours.

For the most part, Zverev was unable to figure anything out, and after serving his fifth double-fault to cough up a break in the second set, he hammered his racket repeatedly into the ground to pick up a code violation warning from the umpire.

While the German did not go to the extent of smashing four racquets into pieces as Marcos Baghdatis did during his three-set loss at Melbourne Park to Stan Wawrinka in 2012, it did feel like a deja vu moment for Zverev.

Last year, he took out his frustration in a similar manner during his Australian Open third round loss to South Korean Chung Hyeon.

"It made me feel better," Zverev said, recalling the incident in Monday's match when he smashed his racquet nine times while also startling a ball boy. "I was very angry, so I let my anger out."

Zverev put up a better fight in the third set behind an improved serve and fewer unforced errors, as the German saved the second match point he faced by winning a 29-shot rally but it ultimately proved too little, too late.

German prospect Alexander Zverev only managed to beat his racquet on Monday (January 21) as the highly-regarded fourth seed was dumped out of the Australian Open on Monday (January 21) by big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic in a surprisingly one-sided 6-1 6-1 7-6(5) fourth round triumph.

German prospect Alexander Zverev only managed to beat his racquet on Monday (January 21) as the highly-regarded fourth seed was dumped out of the Australian Open on Monday (January 21) by big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic in a surprisingly one-sided 6-1 6-1 7-6(5) fourth round triumph. Zverev has emerged as one of the brightest stars in men's tennis after victories over Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic en route to an ATP Finals triumph in November, but the 21-year-old German remains unable to find his best form at Grand Slams. Following 20-year-old Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas' win over Federer on Sunday (January 20), the towering, shaggy-haired Zverev needed to prove he also has the temperament to match his talent and help lead the next generation against the established order. "This is one of many tournaments. You can't really compete every single week saying you made semis there or quarters there, beat that," Zverev, who has yet to progress beyond the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam, told reporters. Zverev started well against 16th seed Raonic with a break in the first game, but he was then broken six times in the first two sets before the Canadian converted his fourth match point in a tight third set to seal the contest in less than two hours. For the most part, Zverev was unable to figure anything out, and after serving his fifth double-fault to cough up a break in the second set, he hammered his racket repeatedly into the ground to pick up a code violation warning from the umpire. While the German did not go to the extent of smashing four racquets into pieces as Marcos Baghdatis did during his three-set loss at Melbourne Park to Stan Wawrinka in 2012, it did feel like a deja vu moment for Zverev. Last year, he took out his frustration in a similar manner during his Australian Open third round loss to South Korean Chung Hyeon. "It made me feel better," Zverev said, recalling the incident in Monday's match when he smashed his racquet nine times while also startling a ball boy. "I was very angry, so I let my anger out." Zverev put up a better fight in the third set behind an improved serve and fewer unforced errors, as the German saved the second match point he faced by winning a 29-shot rally but it ultimately proved too little, too late.

"I played bad", says Alexander Zverev as he bows out to Raonic

Germany's Alexander Zverev wasted a flurry of opportunities before securing a 7-6(5) 6-4 5-7 6-7(6) 6-1 win over unseeded Frenchman Jeremy Chardy on Thursday to book a place in the Australian Open third round.

Zverev, known as Sascha, is ranked fourth in the world and has emerged as the leader of tennis's next generation of men's players, underlined by victories over Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic en route to his maiden ATP Finals triumph in November.

But he is yet to challenge seriously at a Grand Slam and will have to guard against profligacy if he is to progress deep into the tournament at Melbourne Park.

"I think if you go five sets, it's always energy consuming, especially today, being two sets to love up, then two sets all," Zverev told reporters. "A lot of nerves involved, as well."

The 21-year-old served 13 double faults, racked up 52 unforced errors and managed to convert only five of the 17 break point opportunities he had.

Zverev looked set for an easy mach after taking a two-set lead and with a flurry of break points in the third set. But he wasted four chances to break and lost his serve to surrender the third set.

"I thought the match was very high quality, high level. Jeremy started playing really, really well in the third and fourth set," Zverev added.

"I knew if I stayed strong, if I keep doing what I'm doing, I'll get my chances. I actually had my chances in all sets. Didn't manage to break. Matches can turn around quickly. I'm just happy to kind of be in the third round."

Frenchman Chardy, ranked 36th, won the fourth set in a tiebreak after Zverev wasted four more break-point opportunities in the seventh game.

Chardy ran out of steam in the final set as his errors mounted and Zverev cantered to victory in three hours and 46 minutes. He next plays local wildcard Alex Bolt, who stunned 29th-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon 2-6 6-4 4-6 7-6(8) 6-4.

Zverev said he did not know much about his next opponent.

"His journey is quite amazing. He's playing really good tennis right now. Obviously, being in the third round, beating Gilles Simon, which is never easy," the German said.

"I'm happy for him. But in two days' time, I'll be playing him. I'll do everything I can to prevent him going further."

Germany's Alexander Zverev wasted a flurry of opportunities before securing a 7-6(5) 6-4 5-7 6-7(6) 6-1 win over unseeded Frenchman Jeremy Chardy on Thursday to book a place in the Australian Open third round.

Germany's Alexander Zverev wasted a flurry of opportunities before securing a 7-6(5) 6-4 5-7 6-7(6) 6-1 win over unseeded Frenchman Jeremy Chardy on Thursday to book a place in the Australian Open third round. Zverev, known as Sascha, is ranked fourth in the world and has emerged as the leader of tennis's next generation of men's players, underlined by victories over Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic en route to his maiden ATP Finals triumph in November. But he is yet to challenge seriously at a Grand Slam and will have to guard against profligacy if he is to progress deep into the tournament at Melbourne Park. "I think if you go five sets, it's always energy consuming, especially today, being two sets to love up, then two sets all," Zverev told reporters. "A lot of nerves involved, as well." The 21-year-old served 13 double faults, racked up 52 unforced errors and managed to convert only five of the 17 break point opportunities he had. Zverev looked set for an easy mach after taking a two-set lead and with a flurry of break points in the third set. But he wasted four chances to break and lost his serve to surrender the third set. "I thought the match was very high quality, high level. Jeremy started playing really, really well in the third and fourth set," Zverev added. "I knew if I stayed strong, if I keep doing what I'm doing, I'll get my chances. I actually had my chances in all sets. Didn't manage to break. Matches can turn around quickly. I'm just happy to kind of be in the third round." Frenchman Chardy, ranked 36th, won the fourth set in a tiebreak after Zverev wasted four more break-point opportunities in the seventh game. Chardy ran out of steam in the final set as his errors mounted and Zverev cantered to victory in three hours and 46 minutes. He next plays local wildcard Alex Bolt, who stunned 29th-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon 2-6 6-4 4-6 7-6(8) 6-4. Zverev said he did not know much about his next opponent. "His journey is quite amazing. He's playing really good tennis right now. Obviously, being in the third round, beating Gilles Simon, which is never easy," the German said. "I'm happy for him. But in two days' time, I'll be playing him. I'll do everything I can to prevent him going further."

Australian Open: Wasteful Zverev advances after five-set battle

Germany's Alexander Zverev overpowered Aljaz Bedene to win their first-round match 6-4 6-1 6-4 &nbsp;at the Australian Open on Tuesday.

Zverev, who is considered a title contender, went down a break midway through the first set, which seemed to prod him into action. He won the next eight games, and Bedene never recovered.

Zverev will play the winner of an all-French first-round match between Jeremy Chardy and Ugo Humbert.

Zverev emerged as the leader of tennis' new generation of men's players after his maiden ATP Finals triumph last year where he defeated Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in consecutive days. 
&nbsp;

Germany's Alexander Zverev overpowered Aljaz Bedene to win their first-round match 6-4 6-1 6-4 at the Australian Open on Tuesday. Zverev, who is considered a title contender, went down a break midway through the first set, which seemed to prod him into action.

Germany's Alexander Zverev overpowered Aljaz Bedene to win their first-round match 6-4 6-1 6-4 at the Australian Open on Tuesday. Zverev, who is considered a title contender, went down a break midway through the first set, which seemed to prod him into action. He won the next eight games, and Bedene never recovered. Zverev will play the winner of an all-French first-round match between Jeremy Chardy and Ugo Humbert. Zverev emerged as the leader of tennis' new generation of men's players after his maiden ATP Finals triumph last year where he defeated Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in consecutive days.

Australian Open: Alexander Zverev overpowers Bedene to move into second round

In pics: Day 2 highlights of Australian Open

Alexander Zverev believes finding the joy in playing on the biggest stages will be key to his hopes of a Grand Slam breakthrough at the Australian Open after struggling with the pressure of being branded the next big thing of men's tennis.

The 21-year-old has proved repeatedly he has the weapons to upset titans like Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic but has only a solitary quarter-final appearance at the Grand Slams to his credit, at last year's French Open.

Wielding a monster serve and renowned as one of the game's purest shot-makers, the German is still regarded as the most capable of the next generation of players to break the Grand Slam cartel of the old guard.

But he admits he will need a change of mindset when he marches out onto the blue hardcourts at Melbourne Park and play with the same freedom that saw him claim his maiden ATP Tour Finals crown at the end of the 2018 season.

"Look, I always enjoy playing," he told reporters on Saturday.

"I always enjoy competing, playing the sport that I love. There's always a lot of pressure to it, always the question of: 'When are you going to win a Grand Slam?

"I came to London before, and I wasn't playing my best ... I really wasn't playing well. I came to London saying, 'Look, it's the last tournament of the year, we're all tired, you want to go on holidays. I want to enjoy it as much as I can. I'm playing the best players in the world, I'm going to see how it goes.'

"At the end of the week, I won the tournament. I kind of learned out of that. I kind of figured out I have to have the same mentality when I play at slams. I hope I can achieve that."

Zverev has never made the second week at Melbourne Park and there was little joy in his third round exit last year.

After trading blows in a tense 'Next Gen' duel with South Korean semi-finalist Chung Hyeon, he cracked under pressure in the fourth set and was bageled in the last.

Zverev is now coached by Ivan Lendl, who helped Andy Murray break his long drought at Grand Slams, and has already credited him for helping raise his game.

He has not had an ideal preparation for Melbourne, however, and comes into the tournament without a competitive match under his belt since the November Tour Finals.

He was forced to pull out of the World Tennis Challenge exhibition in Adelaide last week and rolled his ankle during practice at Melbourne Park on Thursday.

He said the ankle had still not completely healed but did not feel it would affect his tournament ahead of a first round match against unseeded Slovene Aljaz Bedene.

"It's just a little bit swollen. I didn't actually twist

it," he said.

"I just kind of went over it a little bit. You know, actually what happened was a bone pushed against another bone.

"There was, like, inflammation between those two bones.

"I'm fine. I'm going to play with the tape. It's just a little bit uncomfortable, but it's nothing that can get worse or anything like that. I'm actually quite relaxed about it."

Alexander Zverev believes finding the joy in playing on the biggest stages will be key to his hopes of a Grand Slam breakthrough at the Australian Open after struggling with the pressure of being branded the next big thing of men's tennis.

Alexander Zverev believes finding the joy in playing on the biggest stages will be key to his hopes of a Grand Slam breakthrough at the Australian Open after struggling with the pressure of being branded the next big thing of men's tennis. The 21-year-old has proved repeatedly he has the weapons to upset titans like Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic but has only a solitary quarter-final appearance at the Grand Slams to his credit, at last year's French Open. Wielding a monster serve and renowned as one of the game's purest shot-makers, the German is still regarded as the most capable of the next generation of players to break the Grand Slam cartel of the old guard. But he admits he will need a change of mindset when he marches out onto the blue hardcourts at Melbourne Park and play with the same freedom that saw him claim his maiden ATP Tour Finals crown at the end of the 2018 season. "Look, I always enjoy playing," he told reporters on Saturday. "I always enjoy competing, playing the sport that I love. There's always a lot of pressure to it, always the question of: 'When are you going to win a Grand Slam? "I came to London before, and I wasn't playing my best ... I really wasn't playing well. I came to London saying, 'Look, it's the last tournament of the year, we're all tired, you want to go on holidays. I want to enjoy it as much as I can. I'm playing the best players in the world, I'm going to see how it goes.' "At the end of the week, I won the tournament. I kind of learned out of that. I kind of figured out I have to have the same mentality when I play at slams. I hope I can achieve that." Zverev has never made the second week at Melbourne Park and there was little joy in his third round exit last year. After trading blows in a tense 'Next Gen' duel with South Korean semi-finalist Chung Hyeon, he cracked under pressure in the fourth set and was bageled in the last. Zverev is now coached by Ivan Lendl, who helped Andy Murray break his long drought at Grand Slams, and has already credited him for helping raise his game. He has not had an ideal preparation for Melbourne, however, and comes into the tournament without a competitive match under his belt since the November Tour Finals. He was forced to pull out of the World Tennis Challenge exhibition in Adelaide last week and rolled his ankle during practice at Melbourne Park on Thursday. He said the ankle had still not completely healed but did not feel it would affect his tournament ahead of a first round match against unseeded Slovene Aljaz Bedene. "It's just a little bit swollen. I didn't actually twist it," he said. "I just kind of went over it a little bit. You know, actually what happened was a bone pushed against another bone. "There was, like, inflammation between those two bones. "I'm fine. I'm going to play with the tape. It's just a little bit uncomfortable, but it's nothing that can get worse or anything like that. I'm actually quite relaxed about it."

Alexander Zverev searching for Grand Slam 'mentality' in Melbourne

Roger Federer became the most successful player in&nbsp;Hopman&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;history when he led Switzerland to a 2-1 win in an enthralling final of the mixed teams tournament in Perth Saturday.

In what is tipped to be the final edition of the unique tournament, the best was saved for last as Federer became the first player to win three&nbsp;Hopman Cups, teaming with Belinda Bencic to make it successive titles in Perth.

For the second year in a row, the Swiss beat the German pairing of Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber by claiming a deciding mixed doubles rubber which was loaded with drama.

It was Switzerland's fourth title overall, behind only the United States with six, and Federer first won the&nbsp;Hopman&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;back in 2001 when he teamed with Martina Hingis.

The 37-year-old gave the Swiss the early ascendancy with a straight sets win against Zverev, before Kerber squared the tie by beating a dogged Bencic to set up the mixed doubles decider.

Federer was a dominant figure in an extraordinary doubles match as the Swiss claimed the abbreviated format 4-0, 1-4, 4-3 (5/4) to clinch the title despite Germany having two match points.

Fittingly, it was Federer who served out the match in the third set tie-break, having been unable to do so earlier in the set.

The tournament came down to a single point at 4-4 in the third set tie-break, with both teams holding match point and after an extended rally Zverev dumped a backhand into the net to hand the Swiss victory.

'What a thrill'

Federer also became the first player to win successive&nbsp;Hopman&nbsp;Cups and said the records were a nice bonus for winning the title.

"I am very happy for these records, although I didn’t come here for that," he said.

"Winning it back-to-back years, what a thrill it was, not just the match point but the whole week."

Zverev and Kerber were despondent after the loss and the former said it was a tough pill to swallow.

"We really wanted to win as a team," Zverev said.

"We came so close - we were one shot away."

In the men's singles, Federer bounced back from a November loss to Zverev in London to beat the big-serving German 6-4, 6-2 and make it a clean sweep of his singles matches in Perth for the second year running, less than two weeks before he defends his Australian Open title.

It was a high-octane match, with plenty of big serves and clean winners, but Federer was able to answer everything the 21-year-old threw at him.

He broke Zverev in the 10th game of the first set and then tightened the noose on the German, with two more breaks in the second set.

Federer, who also beat Zverev in three sets in last year's&nbsp;Hopman&nbsp;final, clinched the match with a typically crisp forehand volley.

He was pleased to maintain his unbeaten singles record during the week, during which he never dropped his serve.

World number two Kerber appeared set for an easy win in her singles match against Bencic, taking the first set and then claiming an early break in the second.

The German served for the match at 5-4, but the match took a dramatic twist as Bencic broke back, only for Kerber to immediately break again.

For a second time Kerber was unable to serve out the match, as Bencic forced it to a tie-break.

Kerber had two match points at 6-4 in the tie-break, but Bencic again hung on grimly and won the next two points.

It was not until Kerber's third match point that a backhand winner secured the 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) win.

Critical to the result was Kerber's ability to convert all four of her break points during the match, while Bencic was only successful on two of seven.

Roger Federer became the most successful player in Hopman Cup history when he led Switzerland to a 2-1 win in an enthralling final of the mixed teams tournament in Perth Saturday.

Roger Federer became the most successful player in Hopman Cup history when he led Switzerland to a 2-1 win in an enthralling final of the mixed teams tournament in Perth Saturday. In what is tipped to be the final edition of the unique tournament, the best was saved for last as Federer became the first player to win three Hopman Cups, teaming with Belinda Bencic to make it successive titles in Perth. For the second year in a row, the Swiss beat the German pairing of Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber by claiming a deciding mixed doubles rubber which was loaded with drama. It was Switzerland's fourth title overall, behind only the United States with six, and Federer first won the Hopman Cup back in 2001 when he teamed with Martina Hingis. The 37-year-old gave the Swiss the early ascendancy with a straight sets win against Zverev, before Kerber squared the tie by beating a dogged Bencic to set up the mixed doubles decider. Federer was a dominant figure in an extraordinary doubles match as the Swiss claimed the abbreviated format 4-0, 1-4, 4-3 (5/4) to clinch the title despite Germany having two match points. Fittingly, it was Federer who served out the match in the third set tie-break, having been unable to do so earlier in the set. The tournament came down to a single point at 4-4 in the third set tie-break, with both teams holding match point and after an extended rally Zverev dumped a backhand into the net to hand the Swiss victory. 'What a thrill' Federer also became the first player to win successive Hopman Cups and said the records were a nice bonus for winning the title. "I am very happy for these records, although I didn’t come here for that," he said. "Winning it back-to-back years, what a thrill it was, not just the match point but the whole week." Zverev and Kerber were despondent after the loss and the former said it was a tough pill to swallow. "We really wanted to win as a team," Zverev said. "We came so close - we were one shot away." In the men's singles, Federer bounced back from a November loss to Zverev in London to beat the big-serving German 6-4, 6-2 and make it a clean sweep of his singles matches in Perth for the second year running, less than two weeks before he defends his Australian Open title. It was a high-octane match, with plenty of big serves and clean winners, but Federer was able to answer everything the 21-year-old threw at him. He broke Zverev in the 10th game of the first set and then tightened the noose on the German, with two more breaks in the second set. Federer, who also beat Zverev in three sets in last year's Hopman final, clinched the match with a typically crisp forehand volley. He was pleased to maintain his unbeaten singles record during the week, during which he never dropped his serve. World number two Kerber appeared set for an easy win in her singles match against Bencic, taking the first set and then claiming an early break in the second. The German served for the match at 5-4, but the match took a dramatic twist as Bencic broke back, only for Kerber to immediately break again. For a second time Kerber was unable to serve out the match, as Bencic forced it to a tie-break. Kerber had two match points at 6-4 in the tie-break, but Bencic again hung on grimly and won the next two points. It was not until Kerber's third match point that a backhand winner secured the 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) win. Critical to the result was Kerber's ability to convert all four of her break points during the match, while Bencic was only successful on two of seven.

Roger Federer wins third Hopman in dramatic fashion

Twenty four hours after being booed for having the audacity to take down a tennis great, Alexander Zverev returned to topple another one as he stunned Novak Djokovic to win the ATP Finals title on Sunday.

Zverev, billed as the player most likely to lead the sport into a new golden era once the holy trinity of Roger Federer, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have hung up their rackets, took full advantage of an off-key Serb to win 6-4, 6-3.

Hamburg-born Zverev had been shamefully booed and heckled on Saturday by a Federer-worshipping crowd having beaten the six-time champion after a controversial second-set tiebreak.

Against world number one Djokovic, however, the 18,000 fans wedged into the cavernous O2 arena were roaring their support as he produced a level of tennis his opponent could not match.

He struck 20 winners to Djokovic's seven - the last of which was a backhand to end a one hour and 19-minute duel.

"I really can't describe it. It is the biggest title I have ever won," Zverev said on court after becoming the first German to win the ATP's most prestigious title - often referred to as 'the fifth slam' - since Boris Becker in Frankfurt in 1995.

In becoming the youngest ATP Finals champion since Djokovic, also 21, in 2008, Zverev sent out a clear message that he is ready to spend a considerable amount of time at tennis' top table and start accumulating the game's biggest prizes.

Djokovic, whose error-strewn display was a shock after a dominant week in southeast London which included an easy round-robin win over Zverev, sportingly walked around the net to congratulate his conqueror after match point - the German still laying on his back in a state of disbelief.

Later, Djokovic told reporters: "There's a lot of similarities in terms of trajectory of professional tennis, in our careers. Hopefully, he can surpass me.

"There's a lot of time ahead of him. (I) Wish him to stay healthy and obviously win a lot of titles."

Zverev, younger brother of Tour pro-Mischa and now coached by eight-times major champion Ivan Lendl, is yet to go past the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam.

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That is still the test next year but on Sunday he displayed an added sense of maturity, to go with the natural flair and easy power that have marked him out as a future number one.

His forehand, often regarded as a weakness, was armour-plated and he showed a refreshing willingness to attack the net -- a skill he perhaps has learned from his brother.

Most impressive was that he often prevailed in the long, attritional baseline rallies in which Djokovic has used as the foundation for 14 Grand Slam titles.

The opening eight games resembled a boxing match with both players probing for weaknesses - although it was evident that Zverev's packed the more powerful punches.

Djokovic, winner of 35 of his last 37 matches during a dominant second half of the year which propelled him back to world number one, had not dropped serve all week and had faced only two break points in his four previous matches.

But at 4-4 he wavered as he yanked an edgy forehand halfway up the net to give Zverev the chance to serve for the set.

Zverev took his opportunity in emphatic fashion - blasting down three consecutive aces then winning the set when another Djokovic forehand flew long.

An increasingly-ragged Djokovic then dropped his opening two service games of the second set, either side of breaking Zverev for the first time as the German played a rare loose game.

The crowd still expected a Djokovic fight back but it never materialised and at 3-5 the 31-year-old crumbled, serving a double-fault to help Zverev earn two match points.

He saved the first but was left standing as Zverev conjured a stunning backhand to cap a brilliant display.

Twenty four hours after being booed for having the audacity to take down a tennis great, Alexander Zverev returned to topple another one as he stunned Novak Djokovic to win the ATP Finals title on Sunday.

Twenty four hours after being booed for having the audacity to take down a tennis great, Alexander Zverev returned to topple another one as he stunned Novak Djokovic to win the ATP Finals title on Sunday. Zverev, billed as the player most likely to lead the sport into a new golden era once the holy trinity of Roger Federer, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have hung up their rackets, took full advantage of an off-key Serb to win 6-4, 6-3. Hamburg-born Zverev had been shamefully booed and heckled on Saturday by a Federer-worshipping crowd having beaten the six-time champion after a controversial second-set tiebreak. Against world number one Djokovic, however, the 18,000 fans wedged into the cavernous O2 arena were roaring their support as he produced a level of tennis his opponent could not match. He struck 20 winners to Djokovic's seven - the last of which was a backhand to end a one hour and 19-minute duel. "I really can't describe it. It is the biggest title I have ever won," Zverev said on court after becoming the first German to win the ATP's most prestigious title - often referred to as 'the fifth slam' - since Boris Becker in Frankfurt in 1995. In becoming the youngest ATP Finals champion since Djokovic, also 21, in 2008, Zverev sent out a clear message that he is ready to spend a considerable amount of time at tennis' top table and start accumulating the game's biggest prizes. Djokovic, whose error-strewn display was a shock after a dominant week in southeast London which included an easy round-robin win over Zverev, sportingly walked around the net to congratulate his conqueror after match point - the German still laying on his back in a state of disbelief. Later, Djokovic told reporters: "There's a lot of similarities in terms of trajectory of professional tennis, in our careers. Hopefully, he can surpass me. "There's a lot of time ahead of him. (I) Wish him to stay healthy and obviously win a lot of titles." Zverev, younger brother of Tour pro-Mischa and now coached by eight-times major champion Ivan Lendl, is yet to go past the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam. "I couldn't imagine a better ending" 💪 Leave a 👏 to congratulate our 2018 #NittoATPFinals champion 👇 pic.twitter.com/Muf22FzHZb — ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) November 19, 2018 × That is still the test next year but on Sunday he displayed an added sense of maturity, to go with the natural flair and easy power that have marked him out as a future number one. His forehand, often regarded as a weakness, was armour-plated and he showed a refreshing willingness to attack the net -- a skill he perhaps has learned from his brother. Most impressive was that he often prevailed in the long, attritional baseline rallies in which Djokovic has used as the foundation for 14 Grand Slam titles. The opening eight games resembled a boxing match with both players probing for weaknesses - although it was evident that Zverev's packed the more powerful punches. Djokovic, winner of 35 of his last 37 matches during a dominant second half of the year which propelled him back to world number one, had not dropped serve all week and had faced only two break points in his four previous matches. But at 4-4 he wavered as he yanked an edgy forehand halfway up the net to give Zverev the chance to serve for the set. Zverev took his opportunity in emphatic fashion - blasting down three consecutive aces then winning the set when another Djokovic forehand flew long. An increasingly-ragged Djokovic then dropped his opening two service games of the second set, either side of breaking Zverev for the first time as the German played a rare loose game. The crowd still expected a Djokovic fight back but it never materialised and at 3-5 the 31-year-old crumbled, serving a double-fault to help Zverev earn two match points. He saved the first but was left standing as Zverev conjured a stunning backhand to cap a brilliant display.

Alexander Zverev stuns Novak Djokovic to claim ATP Finals title

Alexander Zverev stunned Novak Djokovic to win <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/alexander-zverev-stuns-novak-djokovic-to-claim-atp-finals-title-178131">his first ATP Finals title</a> at London's O2 arena on Sunday.

The German hailed the victory as the biggest his biggest title ever. "I really can't describe it. It is the biggest title I have ever won," he said after winning the ATP title which is often considered as the fifth slam.

He further added, "It's quite astonishing, winning this title, beating two such players back-to-back, Roger and Novak, in semi-finals and finals."

The 21-year-old Zverev became the youngest champion of the season-ending event since Djokovic claimed the first of his five titles a decade ago, and the first from Germany since 1995

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MATCH POINT 🏆 
 
Sascha Zverev silences <a href="https://twitter.com/DjokerNole?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DjokerNole</a> to make history in London 👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NittoATPFinals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NittoATPFinals</a> 🎥 <a href="https://twitter.com/TennisTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TennisTV</a> <a href="https://t.co/t0VSjogd9m">pic.twitter.com/t0VSjogd9m</a>
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While the runner-up Djokovic has claimed that Alexander Zverev can win more titles than him but the 21-year-old believes it's too early to talk about it as he just clinched the biggest title of his career.

On being asked the sdame, "Oh Jesus, oh my God! I mean one of those (looking at the trophy), he won five and he is one… I don't know what, 148 more titles than me, so let's not go there for now. I hope I can do great, I mean, but let's just chill out a bit…"

Zverev has billed as the player most likely to lead the sport into a new golden era once the holy trinity of Roger Federer, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have hung up their rackets.

"It's great, but you know the future… we still got multiple and multiple years ahead and a lot of things can happen and a lot of things can change and I'll do everything I can to be on top, but, you know, the other guys are playing great tennis as well."

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Zverev sunk to the ground in tears as Djokovic sportingly crossed the net to embrace the player who will now be considered among the favourites to end the Serb's run of two consecutive Grand Slam victories in Australia in two months' time.

Alexander Zverev stunned Novak Djokovic to win his first ATP Finals title at London's O2 arena on Sunday. The German hailed the victory as the biggest his biggest title ever.

Alexander Zverev stunned Novak Djokovic to win his first ATP Finals title at London's O2 arena on Sunday. The German hailed the victory as the biggest his biggest title ever. "I really can't describe it. It is the biggest title I have ever won," he said after winning the ATP title which is often considered as the fifth slam. He further added, "It's quite astonishing, winning this title, beating two such players back-to-back, Roger and Novak, in semi-finals and finals." The 21-year-old Zverev became the youngest champion of the season-ending event since Djokovic claimed the first of his five titles a decade ago, and the first from Germany since 1995 MATCH POINT 🏆 Sascha Zverev silences @DjokerNole to make history in London 👏#NittoATPFinals 🎥 @TennisTV pic.twitter.com/t0VSjogd9m — ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) November 18, 2018 × While the runner-up Djokovic has claimed that Alexander Zverev can win more titles than him but the 21-year-old believes it's too early to talk about it as he just clinched the biggest title of his career. On being asked the sdame, "Oh Jesus, oh my God! I mean one of those (looking at the trophy), he won five and he is one… I don't know what, 148 more titles than me, so let's not go there for now. I hope I can do great, I mean, but let's just chill out a bit…" Zverev has billed as the player most likely to lead the sport into a new golden era once the holy trinity of Roger Federer, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have hung up their rackets. "It's great, but you know the future… we still got multiple and multiple years ahead and a lot of things can happen and a lot of things can change and I'll do everything I can to be on top, but, you know, the other guys are playing great tennis as well." CAPTION THIS 👇 #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/tETpabjT7R — ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) November 18, 2018 × Zverev sunk to the ground in tears as Djokovic sportingly crossed the net to embrace the player who will now be considered among the favourites to end the Serb's run of two consecutive Grand Slam victories in Australia in two months' time.

'Long way to go to beat Djokovic's titles' tally,' says Alexander Zverev

Roger Federer sprang to Alexander Zverev's defence after some of the Swiss great's diehard fans booed the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/alexander-zverev-becomes-first-german-to-reach-atp-finals-title-match-since-1996-177978">young German </a>after his superb victory in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/novak-djokovic-thumps-anderson-to-set-up-final-clash-with-zverev-177928">the last four of the ATP Finals </a>on Saturday.

Zverev, 21, won fair and square 7-5, 7-6(5) to claim a third victory in six meetings with Federer, but the semi-final ended in uproar after a controversial second-set tiebreak.

Federer was leading 4-3 when Zverev stopped mid-rally after a ball slipped from a ball boys' hand and into his line of vision. When the point was replayed Zverev served an ace.

A few points later Zverev finished off the 37-year-old with a nerveless volley, but his on-court interview was drowned out by a cacophony of boos and heckling from fans who believed the German had gained an unfair advantage.

"Look, I understand the frustration. It's just unfortunate circumstances," 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer told reporters. "Booing, I never like it. We see it in other sports all the time, but in tennis it's rare.

"So when it happens, it gets very personal and we take it very direct. I think it's unfortunate that this happened. Sascha doesn't deserve it.

"He apologised to me at the net. I was like, 'buddy, shut up! You don't need to apologise to me here. Congratulations on a great match and a great tournament so far.'

"He didn't do anything about it. He just called it how it was. He felt it affected play. There is a rule that if something like this happens, obviously you replay points."

Watch the video here:

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🧐 ZVEREV BALL BOY INCIDENT ANALYSED 🧐 
 
Host <a href="https://twitter.com/marcus_buckland?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@marcus_buckland</a> discusses the ball boy incident in the match between Alexander <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Zverev?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Zverev</a> &amp; Roger <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Federer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Federer</a> in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATPFinals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATPFinals</a> last four with <a href="https://twitter.com/GregRusedski1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GregRusedski1</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/pfleming55?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pfleming55</a> in the Sky Sports' studio. <a href="https://t.co/Omsr9dYl4R">pic.twitter.com/Omsr9dYl4R</a>
— Sky Sports Tennis 🎾 (@SkySportsTennis) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkySportsTennis/status/1063882543999696896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Federer, who was already being pencilled in for a Sunday showdown with great rival <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/novak-djokovic-thumps-anderson-to-set-up-final-clash-with-zverev-177928">Novak Djokovic</a>, said he had asked the ball boy whether or not he had dropped the ball.

"He said, 'Yes, I did drop the ball.' From that standpoint, it's okay, no problem, that happens. It's all good. I hope he doesn't have a sleepless night. It's not a big deal at the end of the day. This is life, this is sport. Definitely not mad at him. It's all good," he added.

Zverev, the first German to reach the final of the prestigious season-ender since Boris Becker in 1996, said the boos from the Fed-Heads in the crowd had shaken him up.

"I was a little bit sad at the end with the booing and reaction of the crowd," he said.

"I was very emotional afterwards. The booing went into cheering kind of afterwards, which kind of helped me.

"I was really upset afterwards in the locker room, I'm not going to lie. I had to take a few minutes for myself.

"But, you know, I hope the crowd and the people who were booing maybe look at what actually happened, maybe just realise that I've maybe not done anything wrong."

Roger Federer sprang to Alexander Zverev's defence after some of the Swiss great's diehard fans booed the young German after his superb victory in the last four of the ATP Finals on Saturday.

Roger Federer sprang to Alexander Zverev's defence after some of the Swiss great's diehard fans booed the young German after his superb victory in the last four of the ATP Finals on Saturday. Zverev, 21, won fair and square 7-5, 7-6(5) to claim a third victory in six meetings with Federer, but the semi-final ended in uproar after a controversial second-set tiebreak. Federer was leading 4-3 when Zverev stopped mid-rally after a ball slipped from a ball boys' hand and into his line of vision. When the point was replayed Zverev served an ace. A few points later Zverev finished off the 37-year-old with a nerveless volley, but his on-court interview was drowned out by a cacophony of boos and heckling from fans who believed the German had gained an unfair advantage. "Look, I understand the frustration. It's just unfortunate circumstances," 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer told reporters. "Booing, I never like it. We see it in other sports all the time, but in tennis it's rare. "So when it happens, it gets very personal and we take it very direct. I think it's unfortunate that this happened. Sascha doesn't deserve it. "He apologised to me at the net. I was like, 'buddy, shut up! You don't need to apologise to me here. Congratulations on a great match and a great tournament so far.' "He didn't do anything about it. He just called it how it was. He felt it affected play. There is a rule that if something like this happens, obviously you replay points." Watch the video here: 🧐 ZVEREV BALL BOY INCIDENT ANALYSED 🧐 Host @marcus_buckland discusses the ball boy incident in the match between Alexander #Zverev & Roger #Federer in the #ATPFinals last four with @GregRusedski1 & @pfleming55 in the Sky Sports' studio. pic.twitter.com/Omsr9dYl4R — Sky Sports Tennis 🎾 (@SkySportsTennis) November 17, 2018 × Federer, who was already being pencilled in for a Sunday showdown with great rival Novak Djokovic, said he had asked the ball boy whether or not he had dropped the ball. "He said, 'Yes, I did drop the ball.' From that standpoint, it's okay, no problem, that happens. It's all good. I hope he doesn't have a sleepless night. It's not a big deal at the end of the day. This is life, this is sport. Definitely not mad at him. It's all good," he added. Zverev, the first German to reach the final of the prestigious season-ender since Boris Becker in 1996, said the boos from the Fed-Heads in the crowd had shaken him up. "I was a little bit sad at the end with the booing and reaction of the crowd," he said. "I was very emotional afterwards. The booing went into cheering kind of afterwards, which kind of helped me. "I was really upset afterwards in the locker room, I'm not going to lie. I had to take a few minutes for myself. "But, you know, I hope the crowd and the people who were booing maybe look at what actually happened, maybe just realise that I've maybe not done anything wrong."

Watch: Why Alexander Zverev was booed during clash against Roger Federer

Alexander Zverev defeated Swiss star Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/novak-djokovic-thumps-anderson-to-set-up-final-clash-with-zverev-177928">semis of ATP Finals</a> and became the first German tennis player since Boris Becker in 1996 to make it to the title match.&nbsp;

"Federer, who is 16 years older than 21-year-old Zverev, had been pursuing the 100th title of his illustrious career this week and now drops to 10-5 in semi-finals at the season finale, which he first won in 2003 when the tournament was played in Houston," ATP's official website stated.

Rather than being able to celebrate to reach the final of a tournament, which is often dubbed "the fifth slam", he was shamefully booed and heckled during his post-match speech.

The match ended on an unsavoury note due to an incident during the tie-beak when a ball boy dropped a ball during a rally. Zverev rightly asked for a let, but the Federer fans in The O2 crowd were unhappy that the point was replayed and booed him.

Zverev apologised to Federer but admitted he was upset about the incident.

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One match away from the 🏆<a href="https://twitter.com/TennisTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TennisTV</a> highlights as Sascha Zverev defeated <a href="https://twitter.com/rogerfederer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rogerfederer</a> to secure his place in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NittoATPFinals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NittoATPFinals</a> title match 👇<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuperSaturday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SuperSaturday</a> <a href="https://t.co/zlyKtRA5Kq">pic.twitter.com/zlyKtRA5Kq</a>
— ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATPWorldTour/status/1063856863224242177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Alexander Zverev: "Well I mean then the ball boy dropped the ball in the middle of the rally and ran for it. So, without even thinking I stopped the rally and said it was a let. You know that's how it is with the rules. "Obviously the crowd didn't appreciate it, to which I was a little bit upset.... not upset, but I was a little bit sad at the end to it."

Alexander Zverev defeated Swiss star Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) in the semis of ATP Finals and became the first German tennis player since Boris Becker in 1996 to make it to the title match.

Alexander Zverev defeated Swiss star Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) in the semis of ATP Finals and became the first German tennis player since Boris Becker in 1996 to make it to the title match. "Federer, who is 16 years older than 21-year-old Zverev, had been pursuing the 100th title of his illustrious career this week and now drops to 10-5 in semi-finals at the season finale, which he first won in 2003 when the tournament was played in Houston," ATP's official website stated. Rather than being able to celebrate to reach the final of a tournament, which is often dubbed "the fifth slam", he was shamefully booed and heckled during his post-match speech. The match ended on an unsavoury note due to an incident during the tie-beak when a ball boy dropped a ball during a rally. Zverev rightly asked for a let, but the Federer fans in The O2 crowd were unhappy that the point was replayed and booed him. Zverev apologised to Federer but admitted he was upset about the incident. One match away from the 🏆@TennisTV highlights as Sascha Zverev defeated @rogerfederer to secure his place in the #NittoATPFinals title match 👇#SuperSaturday pic.twitter.com/zlyKtRA5Kq — ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) November 17, 2018 × Alexander Zverev: "Well I mean then the ball boy dropped the ball in the middle of the rally and ran for it. So, without even thinking I stopped the rally and said it was a let. You know that's how it is with the rules. "Obviously the crowd didn't appreciate it, to which I was a little bit upset.... not upset, but I was a little bit sad at the end to it."

Alexander Zverev becomes first German to reach ATP Finals title match since 1996

Novak Djokovic produced a masterful display to outclass South Africa's Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-2 on Saturday (November 17) to set up an ATP Finals title showdown with Alexander Zverev.

The world number one was immaculate from start to finish against the 32-year-old as he put himself within touching distance of a record-equalling sixth title at the year-ender.

He offered up a mere 14 unforced errors and not a single break point as he again proved too good for Anderson, who he beat to win Wimbledon this year.

"I think it was the best match I've played so far this week -- it came at the right time," Djokovic, who has been almost unstoppable in the second half of the year, said.

"Kevin has been playing great tennis this week. He lost his serve in the first game which was big because he relies so much on his serve. I tried to win as many points on his second serve as possible. It worked very well.

"I'm very happy to reach the final."

Djokovic found his range immediately and the writing was on the wall for Anderson when he dropped serve in the opening game.

Anderson, the first South African to reach the semi-finals in the tournament's 48-year history, simply had no answer to the relentless accuracy of Djokovic's groundstrokes and had to save two break points in his next service game.

Breezing through his own service games - he is yet to be broken this week - Djokovic was able to exert maximum pressure on Anderson's delivery and his opponent buckled to drop serve again as Djokovic pocketed a one-sided opener.

There was no let-up at the start of the second set for Anderson as he double-faulted to go 0-40 in his opening service game, Djokovic duly breaking again as the world number six dumped a forehand into the net.

Anderson received a code violation for an audible obscenity but it was hard to blame him for losing his cool as Djokovic continued to turn the screw.

Breaks were arriving with the frequency of London buses for the Serb and a rasping crosscourt forehand gave him another one as he romped into a 5-1 lead.

Anderson nicked one game back but it was a hopeless task and Djokovic put him out of his misery with a netcord on matchpoint to claim a 35th win in his last 37 matches -- a run including the Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles to swell his collection of Grand Slam titles to 14.

Not bad for a man who began the year plagued with an elbow injury that needed surgery and who slumped to 22nd in the ATP rankings as recently as June.

Should he win against the 21-year-old Zverev, who he beat convincingly in the round-robin stage here, the 31-year-old will become the oldest player to claim the title.

Roger Federer, the previous oldest, was beaten 7-5, 7-6(5) by Zverev in the day's first semi-final.

Novak Djokovic produced a masterful display to outclass South Africa's Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-2 on Saturday (November 17) to set up an ATP Finals title showdown with Alexander Zverev.

Novak Djokovic produced a masterful display to outclass South Africa's Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-2 on Saturday (November 17) to set up an ATP Finals title showdown with Alexander Zverev. The world number one was immaculate from start to finish against the 32-year-old as he put himself within touching distance of a record-equalling sixth title at the year-ender. He offered up a mere 14 unforced errors and not a single break point as he again proved too good for Anderson, who he beat to win Wimbledon this year. "I think it was the best match I've played so far this week -- it came at the right time," Djokovic, who has been almost unstoppable in the second half of the year, said. "Kevin has been playing great tennis this week. He lost his serve in the first game which was big because he relies so much on his serve. I tried to win as many points on his second serve as possible. It worked very well. "I'm very happy to reach the final." Djokovic found his range immediately and the writing was on the wall for Anderson when he dropped serve in the opening game. Anderson, the first South African to reach the semi-finals in the tournament's 48-year history, simply had no answer to the relentless accuracy of Djokovic's groundstrokes and had to save two break points in his next service game. Breezing through his own service games - he is yet to be broken this week - Djokovic was able to exert maximum pressure on Anderson's delivery and his opponent buckled to drop serve again as Djokovic pocketed a one-sided opener. There was no let-up at the start of the second set for Anderson as he double-faulted to go 0-40 in his opening service game, Djokovic duly breaking again as the world number six dumped a forehand into the net. Anderson received a code violation for an audible obscenity but it was hard to blame him for losing his cool as Djokovic continued to turn the screw. Breaks were arriving with the frequency of London buses for the Serb and a rasping crosscourt forehand gave him another one as he romped into a 5-1 lead. Anderson nicked one game back but it was a hopeless task and Djokovic put him out of his misery with a netcord on matchpoint to claim a 35th win in his last 37 matches -- a run including the Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles to swell his collection of Grand Slam titles to 14. Not bad for a man who began the year plagued with an elbow injury that needed surgery and who slumped to 22nd in the ATP rankings as recently as June. Should he win against the 21-year-old Zverev, who he beat convincingly in the round-robin stage here, the 31-year-old will become the oldest player to claim the title. Roger Federer, the previous oldest, was beaten 7-5, 7-6(5) by Zverev in the day's first semi-final.

Novak Djokovic thumps Anderson to set up final clash with Zverev

Shortly after German wunderkind Alexander Zverev trudged off court having lost to Chung Hyeon at this year's Australian Open he was treated to a few kind words from Roger Federer.

Whatever the Swiss great said apparently had some effect because scroll forward to the end of the year and the 21-year-old tops the Tour match wins chart with 56.

He has three titles to his name this season, including winning a third Masters 1000 in Madrid, and on Saturday he will become the first German for 15 years to contest a semi-final match at the season-ending ATP Finals.

The man he will face is none other than 20-times Grand Slam champion Federer who is chasing a seventh ATP Finals crown.

World number five Zverev, now under the watchful eye of eight-times Grand Slam champion, and former coach to Andy Murray, Ivan Lendl, does not attribute his great season to Federer's words of wisdom. But they certainly did no harm.

"That chat was more for then in that time. I was very upset about my third-round loss," Zverev told reporters after his 7-6(5) 6-3 win over John Isner to seal a last-four spot.

"I had a tough match, another tough loss at a Grand Slam. He was more talking about that, that I shouldn't get too upset. He made his first quarter-final much later in his career, as well."

Zverev, tipped to lead tennis forward in the post Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Murray era, finally reached a Grand Slam quarter-final at this year's French Open -- at the 15th time of asking. Federer did it in his eighth.

There are signs, though, that Zverev is beginning to harness his natural power and foot speed into a complete package. Beating Federer on Saturday at the 02, one of the world's biggest tennis stages, would send out a statement.

"It's going to be a very difficult match," Hamburg native Zverev, already beaten this week in group play by world number one Novak Djokovic, said.

"I mean, him on this surface, indoor court, he's an unbelievable player."

Former world number one Mats Wilander believes the appointment of Lendl could be a key decision for Zverev.

"He is going in the right direction," the Swede told Reuters. "He's made big steps in his ranking which is good and small steps in terms of his game. He is not panicking any more.

"There is still room for improvement. It won't be overnight but it's going to help him tremendously to have someone like Ivan with his experience. Lendl made just small changes with Murray and he ended up winning a bunch of majors."

Zverev acknowledged there are areas to work on.

"All of you guys keep thinking that my forehand is absolute crap, to be honest," he told reporters. "I don't know why.

"Of course, it needs improvement. But every other shot in the book kind of needs improvement."

Shortly after German wunderkind Alexander Zverev trudged off court having lost to Chung Hyeon at this year's Australian Open he was treated to a few kind words from Roger Federer.

Shortly after German wunderkind Alexander Zverev trudged off court having lost to Chung Hyeon at this year's Australian Open he was treated to a few kind words from Roger Federer. Whatever the Swiss great said apparently had some effect because scroll forward to the end of the year and the 21-year-old tops the Tour match wins chart with 56. He has three titles to his name this season, including winning a third Masters 1000 in Madrid, and on Saturday he will become the first German for 15 years to contest a semi-final match at the season-ending ATP Finals. The man he will face is none other than 20-times Grand Slam champion Federer who is chasing a seventh ATP Finals crown. World number five Zverev, now under the watchful eye of eight-times Grand Slam champion, and former coach to Andy Murray, Ivan Lendl, does not attribute his great season to Federer's words of wisdom. But they certainly did no harm. "That chat was more for then in that time. I was very upset about my third-round loss," Zverev told reporters after his 7-6(5) 6-3 win over John Isner to seal a last-four spot. "I had a tough match, another tough loss at a Grand Slam. He was more talking about that, that I shouldn't get too upset. He made his first quarter-final much later in his career, as well." Zverev, tipped to lead tennis forward in the post Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Murray era, finally reached a Grand Slam quarter-final at this year's French Open -- at the 15th time of asking. Federer did it in his eighth. There are signs, though, that Zverev is beginning to harness his natural power and foot speed into a complete package. Beating Federer on Saturday at the 02, one of the world's biggest tennis stages, would send out a statement. "It's going to be a very difficult match," Hamburg native Zverev, already beaten this week in group play by world number one Novak Djokovic, said. "I mean, him on this surface, indoor court, he's an unbelievable player." Former world number one Mats Wilander believes the appointment of Lendl could be a key decision for Zverev. "He is going in the right direction," the Swede told Reuters. "He's made big steps in his ranking which is good and small steps in terms of his game. He is not panicking any more. "There is still room for improvement. It won't be overnight but it's going to help him tremendously to have someone like Ivan with his experience. Lendl made just small changes with Murray and he ended up winning a bunch of majors." Zverev acknowledged there are areas to work on. "All of you guys keep thinking that my forehand is absolute crap, to be honest," he told reporters. "I don't know why. "Of course, it needs improvement. But every other shot in the book kind of needs improvement."

Federer's words of wisdom help Zverev see the light

Swiss great <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=roger+federer">Roger Federer</a> made sure he will be among the last four at the ATP Finals this weekend after outplaying South Africa's Kevin Anderson to top his group on Thursday (November 15).

The Swiss once again brushed aside the passing of time with a vintage display, beating Anderson 6-4, 6-3 to reach the semi-finals for the 15th time in 16 appearances at the event.

Federer walked out into a jam-packed O2 Arena knowing any repeat of his insipid performance on Sunday against Japan's Kei Nishikori could result in an ignominious early exit.

Displaying the old swagger, however, Federer turned on the style to avenge this year's shock Wimbledon quarter-final defeat by Anderson in which he squandered a match point.

Federer and Anderson both ended up with two wins in the Lleyton Hewitt group but the record six-time champion grabbed first place on the head-to-head -- meaning he is likely to avoid world number one Novak Djokovic in Saturday's last four.

Djokovic will top the other group unless he loses to Marin Cilic and John Isner beats Alexander Zverev.

Swiss great Roger Federer made sure he will be among the last four at the ATP Finals this weekend after outplaying South Africa's Kevin Anderson to top his group on Thursday (November 15).

Swiss great Roger Federer made sure he will be among the last four at the ATP Finals this weekend after outplaying South Africa's Kevin Anderson to top his group on Thursday (November 15). The Swiss once again brushed aside the passing of time with a vintage display, beating Anderson 6-4, 6-3 to reach the semi-finals for the 15th time in 16 appearances at the event. Federer walked out into a jam-packed O2 Arena knowing any repeat of his insipid performance on Sunday against Japan's Kei Nishikori could result in an ignominious early exit. Displaying the old swagger, however, Federer turned on the style to avenge this year's shock Wimbledon quarter-final defeat by Anderson in which he squandered a match point. Federer and Anderson both ended up with two wins in the Lleyton Hewitt group but the record six-time champion grabbed first place on the head-to-head -- meaning he is likely to avoid world number one Novak Djokovic in Saturday's last four. Djokovic will top the other group unless he loses to Marin Cilic and John Isner beats Alexander Zverev.

Roger Federer beats Anderson to top ATP Finals group

The last time Novak Djokovic played at the O2 Arena he suffered a chastening defeat at the hands of home hero Andy Murray which confirmed the end of his dominance at the top of the men's game.

His return to the ATP Finals on Monday, after missing the 2017 edition because of an elbow injury, offered conclusive proof that the Serb is once again top dog.

The elastic-limbed 31-year-old, bidding to equal Roger Federer's record of six titles at the ATP's blue-riband event, produced an immaculate display to tame American giant John Isner, who was making his tournament debut, 6-4 6-3.

Already guaranteed to end the year as world number one after winning Wimbledon and the US&nbsp;Open, Djokovic is a massive favourite to complete an incredible resurgence from world number 22 in June with another title in London's docklands.

He will now set his sights on Germany's Alexander Zverev in his second round-robin match after the exciting 21-year-old beat Croatia's Marin Cilic 7-6(5) 7-6(1) to open his account in the Gustavo Kuerten group earlier in the day.

Isner, at 33 the oldest first-timer at the eight-man season-ender since Andres Gimeno made his debut aged 35 in 1972, was not overawed but never managed to lay a glove on Djokovic in the 73-minute contest.

Djokovic lost only four points on his own serve in the first set but what was most worrying for Isner was the way his opponent managed to read his towering delivery, pinging back returns to the baseline with monotonous regularity.

"He's the best returner I've ever faced for sure," Isner said. "Sometimes you got to hope he's a bit off. Unfortunately, I don't think that was the case tonight. I got my ass kicked."

Having failed to convert break points in Isner's opening two service games, Djokovic made no mistake when another chance came along, belting a forehand return for a winner and a 4-2 lead.

KICKING HIMSELF

Isner saved a set point when serving at 3-5 and banged down three consecutive aces to stay in the set but Djokovic calmly held to seize the opener.

The writing was on the wall for Isner when Djokovic broke serve at 3-3 in the second set -- the Serb roaring his approval. Two games later Djokovic sealed victory with a crosscourt backhand winner.

While the O2 Arena has been a happy hunting ground for Djokovic with four of his five ATP Finals titles arriving there, the same cannot be said of four-time qualifier Cilic.

The Croat's defeat by Zverev -- a repeat of his loss to the German 12 months ago -- means he is 1-9 for the tournament.

Cilic would have been kicking himself after allowing a first set that he initially dominated slip from his grasp.

He had points for a 4-0 and 5-1 lead but allowed world number five Zverev to hit back and win the opening set on a tiebreaker, sealing it with a sublime backhand pass.

Breaks of serve were exchanged in the second set before Cilic was required to save a match point at 4-5.

A second tiebreak arrived and just as in the day`s first shootout, it was Zverev who jumped into a lead against an edgy Cilic who double-faulted at 1-4.

Zverev nailed a backhand winner down the line to earn five more match points and converted the first with a powerful first serve that Cilic fenced into the net.

"I was just trying to get myself going, trying to get the energy up. It worked out," Zverev, who vented his anger in the direction of coach Ivan Lendl in the early stages, said.

His task now will be to avoid last year`s let-down when, after beating Cilic on his debut match, he then lost to Roger Federer and Jack Sock to miss out on the semi-finals.

The last time Novak Djokovic played at the O2 Arena he suffered a chastening defeat at the hands of home hero Andy Murray which confirmed the end of his dominance at the top of the men's game.

The last time Novak Djokovic played at the O2 Arena he suffered a chastening defeat at the hands of home hero Andy Murray which confirmed the end of his dominance at the top of the men's game. His return to the ATP Finals on Monday, after missing the 2017 edition because of an elbow injury, offered conclusive proof that the Serb is once again top dog. The elastic-limbed 31-year-old, bidding to equal Roger Federer's record of six titles at the ATP's blue-riband event, produced an immaculate display to tame American giant John Isner, who was making his tournament debut, 6-4 6-3. Already guaranteed to end the year as world number one after winning Wimbledon and the US Open, Djokovic is a massive favourite to complete an incredible resurgence from world number 22 in June with another title in London's docklands. He will now set his sights on Germany's Alexander Zverev in his second round-robin match after the exciting 21-year-old beat Croatia's Marin Cilic 7-6(5) 7-6(1) to open his account in the Gustavo Kuerten group earlier in the day. Isner, at 33 the oldest first-timer at the eight-man season-ender since Andres Gimeno made his debut aged 35 in 1972, was not overawed but never managed to lay a glove on Djokovic in the 73-minute contest. Djokovic lost only four points on his own serve in the first set but what was most worrying for Isner was the way his opponent managed to read his towering delivery, pinging back returns to the baseline with monotonous regularity. "He's the best returner I've ever faced for sure," Isner said. "Sometimes you got to hope he's a bit off. Unfortunately, I don't think that was the case tonight. I got my ass kicked." Having failed to convert break points in Isner's opening two service games, Djokovic made no mistake when another chance came along, belting a forehand return for a winner and a 4-2 lead. KICKING HIMSELF Isner saved a set point when serving at 3-5 and banged down three consecutive aces to stay in the set but Djokovic calmly held to seize the opener. The writing was on the wall for Isner when Djokovic broke serve at 3-3 in the second set -- the Serb roaring his approval. Two games later Djokovic sealed victory with a crosscourt backhand winner. While the O2 Arena has been a happy hunting ground for Djokovic with four of his five ATP Finals titles arriving there, the same cannot be said of four-time qualifier Cilic. The Croat's defeat by Zverev -- a repeat of his loss to the German 12 months ago -- means he is 1-9 for the tournament. Cilic would have been kicking himself after allowing a first set that he initially dominated slip from his grasp. He had points for a 4-0 and 5-1 lead but allowed world number five Zverev to hit back and win the opening set on a tiebreaker, sealing it with a sublime backhand pass. Breaks of serve were exchanged in the second set before Cilic was required to save a match point at 4-5. A second tiebreak arrived and just as in the day`s first shootout, it was Zverev who jumped into a lead against an edgy Cilic who double-faulted at 1-4. Zverev nailed a backhand winner down the line to earn five more match points and converted the first with a powerful first serve that Cilic fenced into the net. "I was just trying to get myself going, trying to get the energy up. It worked out," Zverev, who vented his anger in the direction of coach Ivan Lendl in the early stages, said. His task now will be to avoid last year`s let-down when, after beating Cilic on his debut match, he then lost to Roger Federer and Jack Sock to miss out on the semi-finals.

ATP Finals: Clinical Djokovic tames Isner, Zverev edges Cilic

Russia's Karen Khachanov demolished fourth seed Alexander Zverev of Germany 6-1, 6-2 on Friday to power into the last four of the Paris Masters.

Khachanov, the winner at last month's Kremlin Cup in Moscow, will meet either defending champion Jack Sock or Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem for a place in the final.

World number 18 Khachanov saved two match points against John Isner in the last 16 but needed just over an hour to dispatch an out-of-sorts Zverev, who dropped his serve six times in eight games.&nbsp;

Four-time Paris champion Novak Djokovic takes on Marin Cilic in the quarter-finals later on Friday, while Roger Federer will meet Japan's Kei Nishikori.

Djokovic will replace Rafael Nadal as the world's top player on Monday after a two-year absence.

Meanwhile, Federer, 37, is three wins away from his 100th career title after triumphing on home ground in Basel last week.

Russia's Karen Khachanov demolished fourth seed Alexander Zverev of Germany 6-1, 6-2 on Friday to power into the last four of the Paris Masters. Khachanov, the winner at last month's Kremlin Cup in Moscow, will meet either defending champion Jack Sock or Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem for a place in the final.

Russia's Karen Khachanov demolished fourth seed Alexander Zverev of Germany 6-1, 6-2 on Friday to power into the last four of the Paris Masters. Khachanov, the winner at last month's Kremlin Cup in Moscow, will meet either defending champion Jack Sock or Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem for a place in the final. World number 18 Khachanov saved two match points against John Isner in the last 16 but needed just over an hour to dispatch an out-of-sorts Zverev, who dropped his serve six times in eight games. Four-time Paris champion Novak Djokovic takes on Marin Cilic in the quarter-finals later on Friday, while Roger Federer will meet Japan's Kei Nishikori. Djokovic will replace Rafael Nadal as the world's top player on Monday after a two-year absence. Meanwhile, Federer, 37, is three wins away from his 100th career title after triumphing on home ground in Basel last week.

Karen Khachanov defeats Alexander Zverev to enter Paris semis

Roger Federer will face Romanian qualifier Marius Copil in the final of the Swiss Indoors in Basel after storming past seventh seed Daniil Medvedev 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday.

Copil, the world number 93, stunned second seed Alexander Zverev of Germany 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-4 in the day's other semi-final.

Federer was pushed to three sets by Medvedev when the two met at the Shanghai Masters earlier this month, but there was never any danger of the Swiss suffering a repeat.

The 37-year-old saved a break point in the first game and, his nerves settled, set about the task of outclassing his opponent with clinical precision to reach his 14th Basel final.

After tamely surrendering the first set in 20 minutes, Medvedev found himself trailing 5-1 in the second but managed to fend off a match point and hold serve.

The Russian, who has won titles in Tokyo, Winston-Salem and Sydney this season, then broke Federer to love to keep his hopes of an unlikely comeback alive but the Swiss snuffed them out in his next service game, wrapping up the win in 65 minutes.

Standing between Federer and what would be his ninth career title at his hometown tournament is the unfancied Copil, who beat world number six Marin Cilic earlier in the week.

The 28-year-old Romanian turned in a gritty performance against world number five Zverev, serving and volleying and mixing up his shots from behind the baseline to prevent the German from finding any sort of rhythm.

He sent down 26 aces and won 85 percent of his first serve points, including 17 of 18 in the final set, as he ground out the victory in two hours and 30 minutes.

"It's been an unbelievable week for me so far," Copil said. "Before coming here, I was fighting and struggling to have the (ranking) points to finish in the top 100, and that was in my mind.

"I was trying to win one or two matches here just to stay there. But now being in the final, it's an unbelievable achievement for me."

Roger Federer will face Romanian qualifier Marius Copil in the final of the Swiss Indoors in Basel after storming past seventh seed Daniil Medvedev 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday.

Roger Federer will face Romanian qualifier Marius Copil in the final of the Swiss Indoors in Basel after storming past seventh seed Daniil Medvedev 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday. Copil, the world number 93, stunned second seed Alexander Zverev of Germany 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-4 in the day's other semi-final. Federer was pushed to three sets by Medvedev when the two met at the Shanghai Masters earlier this month, but there was never any danger of the Swiss suffering a repeat. The 37-year-old saved a break point in the first game and, his nerves settled, set about the task of outclassing his opponent with clinical precision to reach his 14th Basel final. After tamely surrendering the first set in 20 minutes, Medvedev found himself trailing 5-1 in the second but managed to fend off a match point and hold serve. The Russian, who has won titles in Tokyo, Winston-Salem and Sydney this season, then broke Federer to love to keep his hopes of an unlikely comeback alive but the Swiss snuffed them out in his next service game, wrapping up the win in 65 minutes. Standing between Federer and what would be his ninth career title at his hometown tournament is the unfancied Copil, who beat world number six Marin Cilic earlier in the week. The 28-year-old Romanian turned in a gritty performance against world number five Zverev, serving and volleying and mixing up his shots from behind the baseline to prevent the German from finding any sort of rhythm. He sent down 26 aces and won 85 percent of his first serve points, including 17 of 18 in the final set, as he ground out the victory in two hours and 30 minutes. "It's been an unbelievable week for me so far," Copil said. "Before coming here, I was fighting and struggling to have the (ranking) points to finish in the top 100, and that was in my mind. "I was trying to win one or two matches here just to stay there. But now being in the final, it's an unbelievable achievement for me."

Swiss Indoors: Roger Federer to face Marius Copil in final

Roger Federer was stretched to the limit by Gilles Simon before overcoming the valiant Frenchman 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals of his hometown Swiss Indoors tournament on Friday.

The Swiss needed 2-1/2 hours to finally break his opponent's resistance as he claimed his 18th successive win at the tournament, which he is aiming to win for the ninth time.

There was an early warning when Simon broke in the second game and raced to a 5-2 lead. World number three Federer fought back to 5-5, then saved a set point in the 12th game before winning 7-1 in the tiebreak.

The second set produced five breaks of serve - three to Simon and two to Federer - before the Frenchman, ranked 32nd, held serve in the 10th game to level the match at 1-1.

Federer broke in the second game of the final set but Simon refused to give in and replied in the seventh. But he finally lost his nerve in the 12th game when two unforced errors in a row handed Federer the match.

"I knew it was going to be difficult... I was a bit unsure of my serve and his return is excellent," said Federer.

Second seed Alexander Zverev also went through with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Roberto Bautista Agut, his 52nd win of the year.

The world number five is aiming for his fourth ATP title of the season.

Qualifier Marius Copil, who beat third seed Marin Cilic in the second round, continued his run with a 7-6(6), 7-5 win over American Taylor Fritz.

Still, to drop a set, the Romanian hit 18 aces and saved 10 of the 11 break points he faced in a match lasting nearly two hours.

Roger Federer was stretched to the limit by Gilles Simon before overcoming the valiant Frenchman 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals of his hometown Swiss Indoors tournament on Friday.

Roger Federer was stretched to the limit by Gilles Simon before overcoming the valiant Frenchman 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals of his hometown Swiss Indoors tournament on Friday. The Swiss needed 2-1/2 hours to finally break his opponent's resistance as he claimed his 18th successive win at the tournament, which he is aiming to win for the ninth time. There was an early warning when Simon broke in the second game and raced to a 5-2 lead. World number three Federer fought back to 5-5, then saved a set point in the 12th game before winning 7-1 in the tiebreak. The second set produced five breaks of serve - three to Simon and two to Federer - before the Frenchman, ranked 32nd, held serve in the 10th game to level the match at 1-1. Federer broke in the second game of the final set but Simon refused to give in and replied in the seventh. But he finally lost his nerve in the 12th game when two unforced errors in a row handed Federer the match. "I knew it was going to be difficult... I was a bit unsure of my serve and his return is excellent," said Federer. Second seed Alexander Zverev also went through with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Roberto Bautista Agut, his 52nd win of the year. The world number five is aiming for his fourth ATP title of the season. Qualifier Marius Copil, who beat third seed Marin Cilic in the second round, continued his run with a 7-6(6), 7-5 win over American Taylor Fritz. Still, to drop a set, the Romanian hit 18 aces and saved 10 of the 11 break points he faced in a match lasting nearly two hours.

Roger Federer reaches semis after being stretched by Simon

Holder Roger Federer recovered from a slow start to beat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 7-5 and reach the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoors, his hometown tournament, on Thursday.

The top seed was broken in the second game of the second-round match by the big-serving German but, after going 3-1 behind, the 37-year-old hit back to win five successive games in 13 minutes and take the first set.

The second set went with serve until the 11th game when Struff made two unforced errors, including a double fault on break point.

Federer comfortably held serve to complete his third victory over Struff this year and claim his 17th successive win at the tournament, a run stretching back to 2014.

After claiming the title in 2014 and 2015, Federer missed the 2016 tournament through injury but won it again last year.

Second seed Alexander Zverev got past Australian qualifier Alexei Popryin 6-4 6-4 to secure his 51st win of the season.

German Zverev, chasing a fourth ATP title this season, lost only two first-serve points on the way to victory.

Fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who last week became the first Greek to win an ATP title when he triumphed in Stockholm, swept aside Germany's Peter Gojowczyk 6-3, 6-1 to continue his impressive season.

Holder Roger Federer recovered from a slow start to beat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 7-5 and reach the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoors, his hometown tournament, on Thursday.

Holder Roger Federer recovered from a slow start to beat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 7-5 and reach the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoors, his hometown tournament, on Thursday. The top seed was broken in the second game of the second-round match by the big-serving German but, after going 3-1 behind, the 37-year-old hit back to win five successive games in 13 minutes and take the first set. The second set went with serve until the 11th game when Struff made two unforced errors, including a double fault on break point. Federer comfortably held serve to complete his third victory over Struff this year and claim his 17th successive win at the tournament, a run stretching back to 2014. After claiming the title in 2014 and 2015, Federer missed the 2016 tournament through injury but won it again last year. Second seed Alexander Zverev got past Australian qualifier Alexei Popryin 6-4 6-4 to secure his 51st win of the season. German Zverev, chasing a fourth ATP title this season, lost only two first-serve points on the way to victory. Fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who last week became the first Greek to win an ATP title when he triumphed in Stockholm, swept aside Germany's Peter Gojowczyk 6-3, 6-1 to continue his impressive season.

Swiss Indoors: Roger Federer reaches quarter-finals after defeating Jan-Lennard Struff

Spain's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?title=rafael+nadal">Rafael Nadal</a> maintained the top spot of men's Association of Tennis Professionals world singles rankings released on Monday with 7,660 points.

Serbia's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?title=Novak+Djokovic">Novak Djokovic</a>, who has returned to his brutal best this season with Grand Slam wins at Wimbledon and US Open, climbed one spot up to the second after winning the Shanghai Masters title for the fourth time in a row on Sunday.

He is 215 points away from Nadal's position and warned that he is gunning for Rafael Nadal's world number one ranking.

"He warned that he is gunning for Rafael Nadal's world number one ranking after winning the title," said Djokovic.

Djokovic overtook Switzerland's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?title=roger+federer">Roger Federer</a> in the standings, pushing him down to third.

The rest of the top-10 remained unchanged, as Alexander Zverev of Germany stayed at No. 5, followed by Marin Cilic of Croatia.

Meanwhile, Australia's Matthew Ebden jumped 11 positions up to the 40th, after reaching the quarterfinals of the Asian tournament.

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.<a href="https://twitter.com/borna_coric?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@borna_coric</a> is mover of the week after a run to the <a href="https://twitter.com/SH_RolexMasters?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SH_RolexMasters</a> final. 
 
View Latest ATP Race To London: <a href="https://t.co/m5MT6dDjoU">https://t.co/m5MT6dDjoU</a> <a href="https://t.co/N6seZcqllT">pic.twitter.com/N6seZcqllT</a>
— ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATPWorldTour/status/1051762342697021441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The current top-10 ATP rankings and point scores are as follows:

1. Rafael Nadal (Spain) 7,660 points

2. Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 7,445

3. Roger Federer (Switzerland) 6,260

4. Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) 5,860

5. Alexander Zverev (Germany) 5,025

6. Marin Cilic (Croatia) 4,185

7. Dominic Thiem (Austria) 3,825

8. Kevin Anderson (South Africa) 3,775

9. Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 3,440

10. John Isner (United States) 3,290.

Spain's Rafael Nadal maintained the top spot of men's Association of Tennis Professionals world singles rankings released on Monday with 7,660 points. Serbia's Novak Djokovic, who has returned to his brutal best this season with Grand Slam wins at Wimbledon and US Open, climbed one spot up to the second after winning the Shanghai Masters title for the fourth time in a row on Sunday.

Spain's Rafael Nadal maintained the top spot of men's Association of Tennis Professionals world singles rankings released on Monday with 7,660 points. Serbia's Novak Djokovic, who has returned to his brutal best this season with Grand Slam wins at Wimbledon and US Open, climbed one spot up to the second after winning the Shanghai Masters title for the fourth time in a row on Sunday. He is 215 points away from Nadal's position and warned that he is gunning for Rafael Nadal's world number one ranking. "He warned that he is gunning for Rafael Nadal's world number one ranking after winning the title," said Djokovic. Djokovic overtook Switzerland's Roger Federer in the standings, pushing him down to third. The rest of the top-10 remained unchanged, as Alexander Zverev of Germany stayed at No. 5, followed by Marin Cilic of Croatia. Meanwhile, Australia's Matthew Ebden jumped 11 positions up to the 40th, after reaching the quarterfinals of the Asian tournament. .@borna_coric is mover of the week after a run to the @SH_RolexMasters final. View Latest ATP Race To London: https://t.co/m5MT6dDjoU pic.twitter.com/N6seZcqllT — ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) October 15, 2018 × The current top-10 ATP rankings and point scores are as follows: 1. Rafael Nadal (Spain) 7,660 points 2. Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 7,445 3. Roger Federer (Switzerland) 6,260 4. Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) 5,860 5. Alexander Zverev (Germany) 5,025 6. Marin Cilic (Croatia) 4,185 7. Dominic Thiem (Austria) 3,825 8. Kevin Anderson (South Africa) 3,775 9. Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 3,440 10. John Isner (United States) 3,290.

Rafael Nadal holds top spot in ATP rankings, Djokovic in 2nd

Alexander Zverev defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili in his second round match at the ATP Shanghai Masters and while celebrating his win, the German tennis star gave a ball boy the fright of his life.&nbsp;

With the match evenly poised in the first set against the China Open champion, Zverev ran down a drop shot with ease before firing a backhand winner down the line to secure a crucial break of serve.

Zverev roared his delight and pumped his fist in celebration but the ball boy - just a yard away - was taken aback as he leaned back in stunned shock.

The hilarious incident was caught on camera and quickly went viral.

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When you celebrate so hard it terrifies the ballkids 😂<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RolexSHMasters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RolexSHMasters</a> <a href="https://t.co/eryoazYgYD">pic.twitter.com/eryoazYgYD</a>
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/TennisTV/status/1049905738318049280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Zverev faced tough resistance but overcame the Georgian 7-5, 6-4 to reach the third round. The&nbsp;fourth seed will next play Australia's world-ranked 33 Alex de Minaur.

Alexander Zverev defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili in his second round match at the ATP Shanghai Masters and while celebrating his win, the German tennis star gave a ball boy the fright of his life.

Alexander Zverev defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili in his second round match at the ATP Shanghai Masters and while celebrating his win, the German tennis star gave a ball boy the fright of his life. With the match evenly poised in the first set against the China Open champion, Zverev ran down a drop shot with ease before firing a backhand winner down the line to secure a crucial break of serve. Zverev roared his delight and pumped his fist in celebration but the ball boy - just a yard away - was taken aback as he leaned back in stunned shock. The hilarious incident was caught on camera and quickly went viral. When you celebrate so hard it terrifies the ballkids 😂#RolexSHMasters pic.twitter.com/eryoazYgYD — Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 10, 2018 × Zverev faced tough resistance but overcame the Georgian 7-5, 6-4 to reach the third round. The fourth seed will next play Australia's world-ranked 33 Alex de Minaur.

Watch: German tennis star Alexander Zverev frightens ball Boy

Alexander Zverev opened his campaign at the China Open with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Roberto Bautista Agut on Tuesday (October 2).

Germany's star tennis player was making his first appearance since a third-round exit at the US Open.&nbsp;

Despite an early stumble in the first set, he saw off the Spaniard in just over an hour and a half.

Zverev will next face Tunisia's Malek Jaziri who advanced after beating China's Wu Yibing in straight sets.

Alexander Zverev opened his campaign at the China Open with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Roberto Bautista Agut on Tuesday (October 2). Germany's star tennis player was making his first appearance since a third-round exit at the US Open.

Alexander Zverev opened his campaign at the China Open with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Roberto Bautista Agut on Tuesday (October 2). Germany's star tennis player was making his first appearance since a third-round exit at the US Open. Despite an early stumble in the first set, he saw off the Spaniard in just over an hour and a half. Zverev will next face Tunisia's Malek Jaziri who advanced after beating China's Wu Yibing in straight sets.

Zverev beats Bautista-Agut to progress in China Open

World number eight, Dominic Thiem defeated Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 to enter his third successive French Open semi-final on Tuesday at Philippe-Chatrier.

Thiem, the Austrian seventh seed forced Zverev to make four double faults and outplayed him in three sets after winning 6 breakpoints.&nbsp;

Zverev needed his left thigh strapped in the second set and looked disconsolate. Thiem widened his advantage with a clinical display of hitting as Austrian star was barely running for wide balls.

Dominic Thiem will either face 2016 champion and 12-time major winner Novak Djokovic or Italy's world number 72 Marco Cecchinato for a place in Sunday's final.

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Third straight Roland-Garros semi-final!<a href="https://twitter.com/ThiemDomi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ThiemDomi</a> roars past Zverev 6-4 6-2 6-1.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RG18?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RG18</a> <a href="https://t.co/HQoR1npf2m">pic.twitter.com/HQoR1npf2m</a>
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&nbsp;

Dominic Thiem defeated Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 to enter his third successive French Open semi-final

World number eight, Dominic Thiem defeated Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 to enter his third successive French Open semi-final on Tuesday at Philippe-Chatrier. Thiem, the Austrian seventh seed forced Zverev to make four double faults and outplayed him in three sets after winning 6 breakpoints. Zverev needed his left thigh strapped in the second set and looked disconsolate. Thiem widened his advantage with a clinical display of hitting as Austrian star was barely running for wide balls. Dominic Thiem will either face 2016 champion and 12-time major winner Novak Djokovic or Italy's world number 72 Marco Cecchinato for a place in Sunday's final. Third straight Roland-Garros semi-final!@ThiemDomi roars past Zverev 6-4 6-2 6-1.#RG18 pic.twitter.com/HQoR1npf2m — Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 5, 2018 ×

French Open: Dominic Thiem eases past Alexander Zverev to enter semi-final

German second seed Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic have entered the quarter-finals after defeating Karen Khachanov and Fernando Verdasco respectively in the round of 16 on Sunday.&nbsp;

Although, the 21-year-old Zverev survived in a five-set match and claimed his third successive comeback win to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final, beating Russian Khachanov 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.

"Well, I'm young, so I might as well stay on court, get some practice and entertain you guys," said Zverev after winning the match.

On the other hand, Djokovic registered an easy win against Spanish veteran Verdasco 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 and will play in the last eight at Roland Garros for a record 12th time.

Zverev will meet Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals and Novak Djokovic will face Marco Cecchinato in the quarter-final of this year's French Open.

Zverev will meet Dominic Thiem and Novak Djokovic will face Marco Cecchinato in the quarter-final of this year's French Open

German second seed Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic have entered the quarter-finals after defeating Karen Khachanov and Fernando Verdasco respectively in the round of 16 on Sunday. Although, the 21-year-old Zverev survived in a five-set match and claimed his third successive comeback win to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final, beating Russian Khachanov 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. "Well, I'm young, so I might as well stay on court, get some practice and entertain you guys," said Zverev after winning the match. On the other hand, Djokovic registered an easy win against Spanish veteran Verdasco 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 and will play in the last eight at Roland Garros for a record 12th time. Zverev will meet Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals and Novak Djokovic will face Marco Cecchinato in the quarter-final of this year's French Open.

French Open: Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic advance to quarter-finals of men's singles

Dominic Thiem bt Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-0, 5-7, 6-4

Austrian seventh seed Dominic Thiem reached his third successive French Open quarter-final on Sunday with a 6-2, 6-0, 5-7, 6-4 win over Japan's Kei Nishikori.

Thiem, the only man to defeat 10-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal on clay this year, will face German second seed Alexander Zverev for a place in the semi-finals.

Sunday's win for 24-year-old Thiem was his first over Japanese 19th seed Nishikori who had won their previous matches on grass at Halle in 2015 and on clay in Rome in 2016.

Marco Cecchinato bt David Goffin 7-5, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3

Italian world number 72 Marco Cecchinato hailed "the best moment" of his life after beating David Goffin 7-5, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 to reach the French Open quarter-finals on Sunday, just two years since being embroiled in a match-fixing scandal.

Cecchinato, who was suspended for 18 months by the Italian tennis federation in July 2016 for fixing before later being cleared of any wrongdoing, will next face 12-time Grand Slam champion and his former practice partner Novak Djokovic.

The 25-year-old had never won a Grand Slam match before this tournament but showed some good form when winning an ATP clay-court title in Budapest as a lucky loser earlier this year.

Dominic Thiem and Marco Cecchinato will meet Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals of French Open

Dominic Thiem bt Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-0, 5-7, 6-4 Austrian seventh seed Dominic Thiem reached his third successive French Open quarter-final on Sunday with a 6-2, 6-0, 5-7, 6-4 win over Japan's Kei Nishikori. Thiem, the only man to defeat 10-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal on clay this year, will face German second seed Alexander Zverev for a place in the semi-finals. Sunday's win for 24-year-old Thiem was his first over Japanese 19th seed Nishikori who had won their previous matches on grass at Halle in 2015 and on clay in Rome in 2016. Marco Cecchinato bt David Goffin 7-5, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 Italian world number 72 Marco Cecchinato hailed "the best moment" of his life after beating David Goffin 7-5, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 to reach the French Open quarter-finals on Sunday, just two years since being embroiled in a match-fixing scandal. Cecchinato, who was suspended for 18 months by the Italian tennis federation in July 2016 for fixing before later being cleared of any wrongdoing, will next face 12-time Grand Slam champion and his former practice partner Novak Djokovic. The 25-year-old had never won a Grand Slam match before this tournament but showed some good form when winning an ATP clay-court title in Budapest as a lucky loser earlier this year.

Dominic Thiem and Marco Cecchinato enter the quarter-finals of French Open

Alexander Zverev survived another five-set battle to reach the French Open fourth round at the expense of Damir Dzumhur.

Zverev defeated Bosnian Damir Dzumhur 6-2 3-6 4-6 7-6(3) 7-5 in the third round of the French Open on Friday, securing his first trip to the last 16 at Roland Garros.

The German Wunderkid, 21, looked to be on the brink of another disappointing early exit from a Grand Slam, with 26th seed Dzumhur serving for the match at 5-4 in the fourth set.&nbsp

But Zverev held his nerve to force a tiebreak, which he won comfortably.

Matching Zverev for power and stamina and showing a fine touch, with multiple winning drop shots, Dzumhur took the match to his bigger opponent, pushing the German to his second five-set encounter in a row.

In their only previous meeting, last year in Shenzen, Dzumhur won in straight sets and he showed confidence throughout on Friday, until the closing stages.

Zverev's win, which secures his spot in the fourth round in Paris, was his first against a top 50 player in a Grand Slam.

Zverev defeated Bosnian Damir Dzumhur 6-2 3-6 4-6 7-6(3) 7-5 in the third round

Alexander Zverev survived another five-set battle to reach the French Open fourth round at the expense of Damir Dzumhur. Zverev defeated Bosnian Damir Dzumhur 6-2 3-6 4-6 7-6(3) 7-5 in the third round of the French Open on Friday, securing his first trip to the last 16 at Roland Garros. The German Wunderkid, 21, looked to be on the brink of another disappointing early exit from a Grand Slam, with 26th seed Dzumhur serving for the match at 5-4 in the fourth set. But Zverev held his nerve to force a tiebreak, which he won comfortably. Matching Zverev for power and stamina and showing a fine touch, with multiple winning drop shots, Dzumhur took the match to his bigger opponent, pushing the German to his second five-set encounter in a row. In their only previous meeting, last year in Shenzen, Dzumhur won in straight sets and he showed confidence throughout on Friday, until the closing stages. Zverev's win, which secures his spot in the fourth round in Paris, was his first against a top 50 player in a Grand Slam.

French Open: Alexander Zverev makes it to 4th round for first time

Grigor Dimitrov bt Jared Donaldson 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4

Fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov clinched a marathon 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 victory over American Jared Donaldson to book a last-32 spot at Roland Garros on Wednesday.

The Bulgarian was pushed all the way by world number 57 Donaldson in a match that lasted four hours and 19 minutes, but grabbed the crucial break in the 17th game of the deciding set as his opponent started to struggle with cramp.

Dimitrov will face dangerous Spaniard Fernando Verdasco next as he looks to reach the fourth round in Paris for the first time.

Alexander Zverev bt Dusan Lajovic 2-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2

Alexander Zverev staged a fightback to win a five-setter with Dusan Lajovic.

German world number three Zverev found himself in deep trouble when trailing by two sets to one against Lajovic, but the Serbian ran out of gas as it finished 2-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

The 21-year-old, a winner of three Masters titles, is yet to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final and was knocked out in the first round at Roland Garros last year.

But Zverev moved into round three for the second time, where he will play Bosnian 26th seed Damir Dzumhur, as he looks to become the first German man to win the title since 1937.

Kei Nishikori bt Benoit Paire 6-3, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3

Japan's Kei Nishikori also staged a comeback to edge out Frenchman Benoit Paire on Philippe Chatrier court, winning 6-3, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in his first Grand Slam event since Wimbledon last year after recovering from a wrist injury.

Grigor Dimitrov, Alexander Zverev, Kei Nishikori have entered the third round at French Open on Wednesday

Grigor Dimitrov bt Jared Donaldson 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 Fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov clinched a marathon 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 victory over American Jared Donaldson to book a last-32 spot at Roland Garros on Wednesday. The Bulgarian was pushed all the way by world number 57 Donaldson in a match that lasted four hours and 19 minutes, but grabbed the crucial break in the 17th game of the deciding set as his opponent started to struggle with cramp. Dimitrov will face dangerous Spaniard Fernando Verdasco next as he looks to reach the fourth round in Paris for the first time. Alexander Zverev bt Dusan Lajovic 2-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 Alexander Zverev staged a fightback to win a five-setter with Dusan Lajovic. German world number three Zverev found himself in deep trouble when trailing by two sets to one against Lajovic, but the Serbian ran out of gas as it finished 2-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. The 21-year-old, a winner of three Masters titles, is yet to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final and was knocked out in the first round at Roland Garros last year. But Zverev moved into round three for the second time, where he will play Bosnian 26th seed Damir Dzumhur, as he looks to become the first German man to win the title since 1937. Kei Nishikori bt Benoit Paire 6-3, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 Japan's Kei Nishikori also staged a comeback to edge out Frenchman Benoit Paire on Philippe Chatrier court, winning 6-3, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in his first Grand Slam event since Wimbledon last year after recovering from a wrist injury.

Dimitrov, Zverev, Nishikori reach round 3rd at Roland-Garros

Alexander Zverev has found a new love for the Yorkshire accent after surviving the second round at&nbsp;Roland-Garros. He defeated&nbsp;Lajovic in sets and move forward to the next round of the competition.

German star Zverev seemed relaxed and confident during his post-match press interaction and particularly enjoyed hearing the Yorkshire accent.

A reporter asked a question and Zverev gave an unusual response, he said, "Where you from, buddy?" and after that the conversation became interesting, watch the video:

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Zverev struggling with the Yorkshire accent. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RG18?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RG18</a> <a href="https://t.co/p9h0IepaPo">pic.twitter.com/p9h0IepaPo</a>
— ㅤㅤㅤ (@Dani___Alves) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dani___Alves/status/1002119613889548293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Alexander Zverev: "Where you from, buddy?"

Reporter: "Do you want to guess? Yorkshire in England."

Alexander Zverev: "Nice. If I ever make a tournament there I'm coming just because of that accent. Love it. I didn't understand a word you're saying, but it's not important."

Reporter: "You clearly enjoy your tennis."

Alexander Zverev: "Not as much as your accent, buddy. I love that."

Reporter: "I will come to all your press conferences now."

Alexander Zverev: "I love that."

German world number three Zverev found himself in deep trouble when trailing by two sets to one against Lajovic, but the Serbian ran out of gas as it finished 2-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

But Zverev moved into round three for the second time, where he will play Bosnian 26th seed Damir Dzumhur, as he looks to become the first German man to win the title since 1937.

Alexander Zverev found a new love for the Yorkshire accent after surviving the scare of the second round to move forward to the next round of Roland-Garros

Alexander Zverev has found a new love for the Yorkshire accent after surviving the second round at Roland-Garros. He defeated Lajovic in sets and move forward to the next round of the competition. German star Zverev seemed relaxed and confident during his post-match press interaction and particularly enjoyed hearing the Yorkshire accent. A reporter asked a question and Zverev gave an unusual response, he said, "Where you from, buddy?" and after that the conversation became interesting, watch the video: Zverev struggling with the Yorkshire accent. #RG18 pic.twitter.com/p9h0IepaPo — ㅤㅤㅤ (@Dani___Alves) May 31, 2018 × Alexander Zverev: "Where you from, buddy?" Reporter: "Do you want to guess? Yorkshire in England." Alexander Zverev: "Nice. If I ever make a tournament there I'm coming just because of that accent. Love it. I didn't understand a word you're saying, but it's not important." Reporter: "You clearly enjoy your tennis." Alexander Zverev: "Not as much as your accent, buddy. I love that." Reporter: "I will come to all your press conferences now." Alexander Zverev: "I love that." German world number three Zverev found himself in deep trouble when trailing by two sets to one against Lajovic, but the Serbian ran out of gas as it finished 2-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. But Zverev moved into round three for the second time, where he will play Bosnian 26th seed Damir Dzumhur, as he looks to become the first German man to win the title since 1937.

Watch: Alexander Zverev's hilarious response to Yorkshire accent

Rafael Nadal won the Rome Masters for the eighth time on Sunday when he defeated defending champion Alexander Zverev 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 after a stunning comeback.

German second seed Zverev was 3-1 up in the decider before two rain stoppages halted his momentum.

Top seed Nadal raced away with the last five games to secure a 32nd Masters title and ensure a return to the world number one spot.

The 31-year-old also showed why he will once again be the runaway favourite when Roland Garros begins in a week where he'll be bidding for an 11th French Open title.

Zverev, 21, came to the court riding a 13-match win streak which included last weekend's trophy in Madrid. &nbsp;

However, by the end of Sunday's rain-hit final, his record against the Spaniard stood at five defeats in five meetings.

Nadal was 3-1 down at the first rain break but cut the gap on the resumption.

After a further half an hour off court during the second interruption, Nadal came back out firing, winning four straight games to wrap up the win on his second match point.

"The rain break was so important, I didn't think it would help me but it did. I was able to come back out with clear ideas, I'm very happy," said Nadal.

"To win Rome eight times is amazing, it's hard to describe. To have the chance to win here again is so great.

"As for Roland Garros, I'm going to enjoy this victory and think about Paris in a few days. &nbsp;

"For Alexander it's amazing to have won that many matches in a row," Nadal said after winning in just over two hours.

"Today this trophy is with me for a short time, but I'm sure you will get it again."

He added: "This was a very difficult match played at one of the best events of the world.

"To win again after my first (Rome title) in 2005 is amazing, the 2005 final was one of the best memories of my career."

Nadal remains the best clay-courter of the Open Era with an astonishing 408-36 record

He will next seek an 11th French Open crown to match the 11 he owns from Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

"You are an amazing champion and you proved that today," Zverev told the Spaniard at the trophy presentation.

"You are the greatest clay player of all time, we all saw that. I'm disappointed that my streak is over, but I did lose to Rafa, so maybe it's OK.

"I was so close but I lost it at the end."

With the sun shining, Nadal made light work of what looked like a disastrous start to the match as he dropped serve in the opening game.

But the king of clay quickly mounted a fightback, breaking world number three Zverev to love and going on to deny the German a winning service game in the entire set.

Nadal closed out the opener in 32 minutes on an overhead smash to leave his challenger scratching for answers after losing six straight games.

Zverev finally held serve to start the second set and answered Nadal by breaking the top seed twice to reach 5-0 as the first dark clouds of the week gathered over the Foro Italico and the conditions slowed.&nbsp;

Nadal temporarily stopped the rot as he won his fist game of the set but Zverev levelled the match at a set each a game later.

That set the stage for the rollercoaster third set decider.

&nbsp;

Rafael Nadal won the Rome Masters for the eighth time as he defeated defending champion Alexander Zverev

Rafael Nadal won the Rome Masters for the eighth time on Sunday when he defeated defending champion Alexander Zverev 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 after a stunning comeback. German second seed Zverev was 3-1 up in the decider before two rain stoppages halted his momentum. Top seed Nadal raced away with the last five games to secure a 32nd Masters title and ensure a return to the world number one spot. The 31-year-old also showed why he will once again be the runaway favourite when Roland Garros begins in a week where he'll be bidding for an 11th French Open title. Zverev, 21, came to the court riding a 13-match win streak which included last weekend's trophy in Madrid. However, by the end of Sunday's rain-hit final, his record against the Spaniard stood at five defeats in five meetings. Nadal was 3-1 down at the first rain break but cut the gap on the resumption. After a further half an hour off court during the second interruption, Nadal came back out firing, winning four straight games to wrap up the win on his second match point. "The rain break was so important, I didn't think it would help me but it did. I was able to come back out with clear ideas, I'm very happy," said Nadal. "To win Rome eight times is amazing, it's hard to describe. To have the chance to win here again is so great. "As for Roland Garros, I'm going to enjoy this victory and think about Paris in a few days. "For Alexander it's amazing to have won that many matches in a row," Nadal said after winning in just over two hours. "Today this trophy is with me for a short time, but I'm sure you will get it again." He added: "This was a very difficult match played at one of the best events of the world. "To win again after my first (Rome title) in 2005 is amazing, the 2005 final was one of the best memories of my career." Nadal remains the best clay-courter of the Open Era with an astonishing 408-36 record He will next seek an 11th French Open crown to match the 11 he owns from Monte Carlo and Barcelona. "You are an amazing champion and you proved that today," Zverev told the Spaniard at the trophy presentation. "You are the greatest clay player of all time, we all saw that. I'm disappointed that my streak is over, but I did lose to Rafa, so maybe it's OK. "I was so close but I lost it at the end." With the sun shining, Nadal made light work of what looked like a disastrous start to the match as he dropped serve in the opening game. But the king of clay quickly mounted a fightback, breaking world number three Zverev to love and going on to deny the German a winning service game in the entire set. Nadal closed out the opener in 32 minutes on an overhead smash to leave his challenger scratching for answers after losing six straight games. Zverev finally held serve to start the second set and answered Nadal by breaking the top seed twice to reach 5-0 as the first dark clouds of the week gathered over the Foro Italico and the conditions slowed. Nadal temporarily stopped the rot as he won his fist game of the set but Zverev levelled the match at a set each a game later. That set the stage for the rollercoaster third set decider.

Italian Open: Rafael Nadal wins eighth Rome Masters title after stunning comeback

German tennis star Alexander Zverev showcased his finest tennis of the season to brush aside Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain and cement her spot in the finals of the Miami Masters here on Saturday.

The 20-year-old surged past Busta 7-6(4), 6-2 in an exhilarating semi-final clash that lasted one hour and 28 minutes on Crandon Park`s Stadium court.

Zverev, who last year became the youngest player since Serbia`s Novak Djokovic to clinch multiple ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in one season with victories in Rome and Montrea, struck 30 winners and won a total of 78 per cent of service points while making just 21 unforced errors.

Following the win, the fifth-seeded player revealed that he tried to be more aggressive in the tie-breaker and then he made some backhand winners which helped him in finding the rhythm during the match.

"I tried to be more aggressive. I made some winners made some backhand winners finally in the match and found my rhythm.I think after that, I started to play really well, not only in the tie-break but also the second set," the ATP quoted Zverer, as saying.

The triumph will see him surge to at least number fourth spot in the ATP Rankings which will release next week.

In case Zverer went on to grab the title, he would return to his career-high ranking of number three.

With the win, Zeverer has now set up a summit showdown clash against American John Isner, who eased past Juan Martin del Potro in straight sets earlier in the day.

The 20-year-old surged past Busta 7-6(4), 6-2 in an exhilarating semi-final clash

German tennis star Alexander Zverev showcased his finest tennis of the season to brush aside Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain and cement her spot in the finals of the Miami Masters here on Saturday. The 20-year-old surged past Busta 7-6(4), 6-2 in an exhilarating semi-final clash that lasted one hour and 28 minutes on Crandon Park`s Stadium court. Zverev, who last year became the youngest player since Serbia`s Novak Djokovic to clinch multiple ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in one season with victories in Rome and Montrea, struck 30 winners and won a total of 78 per cent of service points while making just 21 unforced errors. Following the win, the fifth-seeded player revealed that he tried to be more aggressive in the tie-breaker and then he made some backhand winners which helped him in finding the rhythm during the match. "I tried to be more aggressive. I made some winners made some backhand winners finally in the match and found my rhythm.I think after that, I started to play really well, not only in the tie-break but also the second set," the ATP quoted Zverer, as saying. The triumph will see him surge to at least number fourth spot in the ATP Rankings which will release next week. In case Zverer went on to grab the title, he would return to his career-high ranking of number three. With the win, Zeverer has now set up a summit showdown clash against American John Isner, who eased past Juan Martin del Potro in straight sets earlier in the day.

Miami Open: Alexander Zverev rolls into final, to face Isner

Alexander Zverev rallied from a one set deficit to defeat Spain’s David Ferrer 2-6 6-2 6-4 in the third round of the Miami Open on Monday as he moved a step closer to a breakthrough title this year.

The 20-year-old German is yet to recapture the form that earned him five singles titles, including two Masters events, in 2017 but he has displayed guile in prevailing in a pair of three-set matches in Miami.

Zverev, ranked fifth in the world, recovered from a rusty opening set to break Ferrer’s service three times in the second set and twice more in the decisive stanza.

He will next face Australian Nick Kyrgios, who advanced with a 6-3 6-3 win over Fabio Fognini.

In earlier action, Fernando Verdasco dug deep to earn a 3-6 6-4 7-6(4) win over Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis to set up a fourth round clash against fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.

The 34-year-old fired down 13 aces to beat Kokkinakis, who had been full of confidence after stunning world number one and defending champion Roger Federer in the second round.

Verdasco, who reached the Miami quarter-finals in 2009 and 2010, rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the third set and again from 3-0 down in the decisive tiebreaker before prevailing in a match that lasted nearly three hours.

He then got involved in a Twitter spat with Kyrgios, who had expressed his desire for the Spaniard to lose his third round match.&nbsp

Next up for Verdasco is Carreno Busta, who beat American Steve Johnson 6-4 6-4 to reach the fourth round for the first time. "It`s never easy," Carreno Busta, the 16th seed, said after his 78-minute match.&nbsp

"And this is the first time that I`ve played on this court. But I feel really comfortable and I`m playing good. When you play with confidence it`s easier."

Also reaching the fourth round were Kevin Anderson, a 4-6 6-2 6-3 winner over Karen Khachanov, and Denis Shapovalov, who upset 11th-seeded American Sam Querrey 6-4 3-6 7-5.

The 20-year-old German is yet to recapture the form that earned him five singles titles

Alexander Zverev rallied from a one set deficit to defeat Spain’s David Ferrer 2-6 6-2 6-4 in the third round of the Miami Open on Monday as he moved a step closer to a breakthrough title this year. The 20-year-old German is yet to recapture the form that earned him five singles titles, including two Masters events, in 2017 but he has displayed guile in prevailing in a pair of three-set matches in Miami. Zverev, ranked fifth in the world, recovered from a rusty opening set to break Ferrer’s service three times in the second set and twice more in the decisive stanza. He will next face Australian Nick Kyrgios, who advanced with a 6-3 6-3 win over Fabio Fognini. In earlier action, Fernando Verdasco dug deep to earn a 3-6 6-4 7-6(4) win over Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis to set up a fourth round clash against fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta. The 34-year-old fired down 13 aces to beat Kokkinakis, who had been full of confidence after stunning world number one and defending champion Roger Federer in the second round. Verdasco, who reached the Miami quarter-finals in 2009 and 2010, rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the third set and again from 3-0 down in the decisive tiebreaker before prevailing in a match that lasted nearly three hours. He then got involved in a Twitter spat with Kyrgios, who had expressed his desire for the Spaniard to lose his third round match. Next up for Verdasco is Carreno Busta, who beat American Steve Johnson 6-4 6-4 to reach the fourth round for the first time. "It`s never easy," Carreno Busta, the 16th seed, said after his 78-minute match. "And this is the first time that I`ve played on this court. But I feel really comfortable and I`m playing good. When you play with confidence it`s easier." Also reaching the fourth round were Kevin Anderson, a 4-6 6-2 6-3 winner over Karen Khachanov, and Denis Shapovalov, who upset 11th-seeded American Sam Querrey 6-4 3-6 7-5.

Alexander Zverev wins another three-setter to reach Miami fourth round

Novak Djokovic revealed on Sunday that American great Andre Agassi would be his new coach, but said they did not yet have a &quot;long-term commitment&quot;.

&quot;I spoke to Andre the last couple weeks on the phone, and we decided to get together in Paris. So he`s gonna be there. We`ll see what future brings. We are both excited to work together and see where it takes us,&quot; said Djokovic, beaten 6-4, 6-3 in the Rome Masters final on Sunday by 20-year-old German Alexander Zverev.

&quot;We don`t have any long-term commitment. It`s just us trying to get to know each other in Paris a little bit.&quot;

Djokovic returns to Paris next weekend as the defending French Open champion but looking to improve his clay court game after an inconsistent spell.

He parted with long-time coach Marian Vajda earlier this month, having also ended a three-year relationship with six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker at the end of last season, in a bid to get back to his brilliant best.

Given his performances of late, he will be hoping 47-year-old Agassi, an eight-time Grand Slam champion can make a positive contribution.

The Serbian was outplayed by Spanish nemesis Rafael Nadal on his way to defeat in the semi-finals of the Madrid Masters last week.&nbsp;

And despite reaching the final in Rome on Sunday, Djokovic looked well below his clinical best before losing to German starlet Zverev in 1hr 21min.

Next up is his defence of his title in the French capital, and Djokovic added: &quot;He (Agassi) will not stay the whole tournament. He`s gonna stay only to a certain time, and then we`ll see after that what`s gonna happen. Obviously, Andre is someone that I have tremendous respect for as a person and as a player. He has been through everything that I`m going through. You know, on the court he understands the game amazingly well. I am enjoying every conversation that I have with him. But also, on the other hand, he`s someone that nurtures the family values, philanthropy work. He`s a very humble man, is very educated in just -- you know, he`s a person that can contribute to my life on and off the court a lot. I`m very excited to see what is ahead of us.&quot;

Agassi, unlike television pundit Becker, has been away from the sport for a considerable time having retired in 2006.

Djokovic said he managed to seduce Agassi, the 1999 French Open champion, smiling: &quot;I persuaded him.&quot;

He added: &quot;He`s someone that has been so successful in this sport, and he`s a legend of our sport. He`s made a mark in this sport forever. He`s won everything there is to win in tennis.

&quot;You know, he was a revolutionary player because he had this charisma, he had this, you know, approach to tennis and to life that was quite different from others.

&quot;That`s why he was so interesting. Yes, he has been away from the tour for last 10, 15 years, but speaking with him, he`s been definitely following up closely all the matches, the big matches, especially on the TV.&quot;

&quot;It was his call whether or not he wants to take that step and, you know, try to work with me. He has accepted it, and I`m very grateful for that. It`s exciting, of course. I`m very happy about it.&quot;

(Reuters)

The defending French Open champion parted with long-time coach Marian Vajda earlier this month

Novak Djokovic revealed on Sunday that American great Andre Agassi would be his new coach, but said they did not yet have a "long-term commitment". "I spoke to Andre the last couple weeks on the phone, and we decided to get together in Paris. So he`s gonna be there. We`ll see what future brings. We are both excited to work together and see where it takes us," said Djokovic, beaten 6-4, 6-3 in the Rome Masters final on Sunday by 20-year-old German Alexander Zverev. "We don`t have any long-term commitment. It`s just us trying to get to know each other in Paris a little bit." Djokovic returns to Paris next weekend as the defending French Open champion but looking to improve his clay court game after an inconsistent spell. He parted with long-time coach Marian Vajda earlier this month, having also ended a three-year relationship with six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker at the end of last season, in a bid to get back to his brilliant best. Given his performances of late, he will be hoping 47-year-old Agassi, an eight-time Grand Slam champion can make a positive contribution. The Serbian was outplayed by Spanish nemesis Rafael Nadal on his way to defeat in the semi-finals of the Madrid Masters last week. And despite reaching the final in Rome on Sunday, Djokovic looked well below his clinical best before losing to German starlet Zverev in 1hr 21min. Next up is his defence of his title in the French capital, and Djokovic added: "He (Agassi) will not stay the whole tournament. He`s gonna stay only to a certain time, and then we`ll see after that what`s gonna happen. Obviously, Andre is someone that I have tremendous respect for as a person and as a player. He has been through everything that I`m going through. You know, on the court he understands the game amazingly well. I am enjoying every conversation that I have with him. But also, on the other hand, he`s someone that nurtures the family values, philanthropy work. He`s a very humble man, is very educated in just -- you know, he`s a person that can contribute to my life on and off the court a lot. I`m very excited to see what is ahead of us." Agassi, unlike television pundit Becker, has been away from the sport for a considerable time having retired in 2006. Djokovic said he managed to seduce Agassi, the 1999 French Open champion, smiling: "I persuaded him." He added: "He`s someone that has been so successful in this sport, and he`s a legend of our sport. He`s made a mark in this sport forever. He`s won everything there is to win in tennis. "You know, he was a revolutionary player because he had this charisma, he had this, you know, approach to tennis and to life that was quite different from others. "That`s why he was so interesting. Yes, he has been away from the tour for last 10, 15 years, but speaking with him, he`s been definitely following up closely all the matches, the big matches, especially on the TV." "It was his call whether or not he wants to take that step and, you know, try to work with me. He has accepted it, and I`m very grateful for that. It`s exciting, of course. I`m very happy about it." (Reuters)

Andre Agassi to be Novak Djokovic's new coach

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