The fast-playing surface at the Inalpi Arena in Turin appear to favor Alexander Zverev. That was the case on Sunday as the 2018 and 2021 ATP Finals champion served to perfection and produced a brilliant effort to take down Turin debutant Ben Shelton, 6-3, 7-6(6). Zverev improves to 5-0 lifetime against Shelton with the win, and rises to the top of the Bjorn Borg Group along with Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated Alex de Minaur in straight sets in Sunday’s first singles match in Turin.
A slow start in the opening set proved to be difficult to overcome for Shelton, who found himself down triple break point, serving at 2-2, 0-40 early in the contest. On the next point a Shelton drop shot caught too much air and Zverev ambled in to crack a forehand winner that landed just inside the baseline for the first break of the day and a 3-2 lead.
Zverev’s reaction – a hearty shout in the direction of his box – made the German’s intention clear. A two-time champion at the ATP Finals, he’s aiming to finish his up-and-down season on a high note.
Another 0-40 hole would prove unmanageable for Shelton in the ninth game of the set. The American saved the first set point but dumped a volley into the net and it was Zverev who took the set in 28 cool minutes, with two breaks convertyed, eight winners and just three unforced errors.
Zverev made 88 percent of his first serves and won 16 of 17 service points in the set to further stamp his authority on it.
The second set was a much tighter affair, and should have gone the way of Shelton’s. After both players went untouched on serve through the set, Shelton had a 4-0 lead in the tiebreak, which eventually took him to triple set point at 6-3. But nerves got the better of the American and he couldn’t seize the opportunity as Zverev rallied and swept through the final five points to claim the victory in 93 minutes.
“In the tiebreak he started off amazing,” Zverev said. “Yes, I missed maybe one or two first serves, but the passing shot that he hit was ridiculous.
“I felt like I had to control the things that I could control, and I was doing them well… When I got the returns back and I felt like I was in the rallies, then I could do something. I did that well at the end of the tiebreak and I’m super happy with that win.”
The German finished with 18 winners to 20 for Shelton, but the difference was in the unforced errors – just ten for Zverev and 26 for Shelton.
Zverev won all but ten points on serve as he improves to 55-23 on the season.
Shelton will achieve his new career-high No. 5 on Monday to join Nadal and Draper as the only other left-handers to reach Top-5 of PIF ATP Rankings since 2000, but he’ll be disappointed with the way Sunday’s tussle concluded. The American dropped to 0-15 lifetime against the Top 3, and 40-22 on the season.
