Zverev Dominates Shelton and Starts His ATP Finals Perfectly
After a controlled first set, Alexander Zverev had to battle to overcome Ben Shelton in a tense second act. Final score: 6-3, 7-6 for the German, who begins his Masters campaign full of confidence.
A successful debut in these ATP Finals for Alexander Zverev. The German, world No. 3 and a two-time winner of the event (2018 and 2021), faced Ben Shelton in the first match of the Björn Borg group.
The first set went smoothly for Zverev, who took control of the match 6-3 after 28 minutes of play. He relied on a strong serve (88% first serves in, 93% of points won behind it) and also capitalized on Shelton's errors, as the American often rushed his shots in the rallies.
The contest became more balanced in the second set, with the two men having to be separated in a tie-break.
Shelton seemed to have done the hard part by earning three set points at 6-3, but Zverev held firm to win five points in a row and clinch his first victory (6-3, 7-6) in this 2025 edition of the Masters.
A finalist in Vienna and a semi-finalist in Paris, Alexander Zverev will face the winner of the match between Jannik Sinner and Félix Auger-Aliassime as he attempts to secure his qualification for the semi-finals.
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