ATP Finals: Dominic Thiem defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas in opening match
Dominic Thiem gets revenge over 2019 Nitto ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas to make a perfect start in London. The US Open champion moves top of Group London which also contains Rafael Nadal and debutant Andrey Rublev
Sunday 15 November 2020 19:59, UK
Dominic Thiem gained sweet revenge with victory over defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas in the opening singles match of the Nitto ATP Finals in London.
It was a rematch of last year's final, which Tsitsipas won on a deciding tie-break to claim the biggest title of his career, and this time US Open champion Thiem came out on top in a 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 6-3 victory.
"It was a tough match, both of us served well and conditions were fast. I know how important it is to have a good start in the first match here."
Much has changed in 12 months, of course, and there were just a smattering of people in the vast O2 arena to watch the contest, with the event being played behind closed doors.
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Thiem is bidding to end the season at a career-high No 2. The Austrian can overtake Nadal if he wins the title with a 3-0 or 2-1 round robin record. Nadal will maintain his position if he can win two matches at this event.
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If anyone can be said to have had a good 2020, then one of those few is certainly Thiem, who won a hard-fought-for first Grand Slam title in New York having also reached the Australian Open final.
The 27-year-old has transformed himself into one of the world's leading lights on hard courts over the last couple of years.
The high point of Tsitsipas' season was a run to his second Slam semi-final at the French Open last month but since then he has been troubled by a leg injury.
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It was the 22-year-old who was under the most pressure during a very close first set but he saved the three break points he faced and looked in control when he opened up a 5-3 lead in the tie-break.
"He dealt with my serve better and took time to step back and apply more pressure to me [on] some of the second serves that I had early in the third set. I think that paid off for him."
Thiem, making a fifth consecutive appearance at The O2, stepped up his intensity at the start of the decider and was rewarded with a first break of the Tsitsipas serve to go 2-0 ahead.
Both men were showing plenty of emotion now but Thiem kept his cool when it mattered to serve out the match after two hours and 18 minutes.
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Prior to the match, Novak Djokovic stepped out on court to receive his trophy for clinching the year-end No 1 ranking for a record-equalling sixth time.
Djokovic, who is also chasing a sixth ATP Finals title, begins his campaign on Monday against Andrey Rublev