Clay-court specialist? Not Dominic Thiem, not in 2019.

The 26-year-old Austrian took another big step in his all-court transformation on Saturday, reaching the Nitto ATP Finals title match with a 7-5, 6-3 win against defending champion Alexander Zverev at The O2 in London.

“This is just a big, big dream coming true for me. It is one of the best tournaments all year, one of the most prestigious tournaments all year, and I’m getting the chance to play the final tomorrow. It’s unreal to me. To beat the defending champion, a good player, an unbelievable player, this is always a great achievement and I’m very, very happy,” Thiem said.

Zverev hit his first serve well, landing more than 75 per cent. But Thiem was tougher in the big moments, breaking in the 12^th game of the opening set when Zverev hit his third double fault, and in the sixth game of the second set after a cagey back-and-forth exchange. The Austrian also saved all four break points on his racquet.

During his first three trips to the season finale, Thiem won only three matches and never advanced out of the group stage. But he improved to 3-1 this week with the semi-final win and will face Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday for the biggest title of his career. It will be the first Nitto ATP Finals title match between players with one-handed backhands since James Blake and Roger Federer played in the 2006 final.

“One-handed backhand final I guess.” ?

2006 was the last time this happened at the season-ending event! (Federer/Blake)

?: @TennisTV | #NittoATPFinals | @ThiemDomi pic.twitter.com/VXMSGbJxtF

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 16, 2019

The Austrian leads Tsitsipas 4-2 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series and won their only 2019 matchup, last month on hard court in the China Open final. Tsitsipas advanced earlier on Saturday with a 6-3, 6-4 win against six-time champion Roger Federer.

“That’s a very nice fact, because I think there was a time where there were not many players with a one-handed backhand. And now me and also way younger, amazing players like Stefanos and Denis Shapovalov play [with] one-handed backhands, so we are going to see it for also the next 10, 15 years, which is great,” Thiem said.

“I think if you play it well like we do, it has a lot of advantages, and maybe especially indoors because of the slice, because of the many options you have.”

Thiem matched Zverev’s 2018 accomplishment earlier this week by beating Federer and Novak Djokovic at the season finale, and the fifth seed brought the same aggressive style and steely nerves against Zverev that helped him knock off the two legends.

Thiem struggled with his first serve in the opening set but defended his second serve well (60%, 12/20) and erased break points in the third and fifth games. Zverev wasn’t threatened on serve until he served to stay in it at 5-6 and was broken.

“[I] just didn’t use my chances,” Zverev said.

DELIGHT FOR DOMI ?

The moment @ThiemDomi secured his place in the #NittoATPFinals championship match ?

?: @TennisTV pic.twitter.com/e41HwW77x9

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 16, 2019

The German bounced back early in the second set, but he was broken again during a nervy sixth game that saw him miss two overheads. Thiem, meanwhile, played through the pressure, erasing two break points the very next game to lead 5-2.

“I used those chances and, of course, these were the two keys because you don’t get so many chances to break him,” Thiem said.

The Austrian is through to his seventh final of the season and fourth on hard court. He won hard-court titles in Indian Wells (d. Federer), Beijing (d. Tsitsipas) and Vienna (d. Berrettini) and will try for a Tour-leading sixth title of the season.

Thiem also is on track for his highest year-end ATP Ranking finish at No. 4 and will go for his 50^th match win (49-18) of the season in the final.

Tomas Berdych, who announced his retirement from professional tennis on Saturday, was honoured alongside fellow retirees David Ferrer, Mikhail Youzhny, Marcos Baghdatis, Nicolas Almagro, Radek Stepanek, Max Mirnyi Victor Estrella Burgos and Marcin Matkowski at The O2, the London venue of the Nitto ATP Finals.

Former World No. 4 Berdych, who cites his 2010 Wimbledon final run as a ‘special moment’, admitted that he has no plans yet for his future. “The plan is actually not to have any plans, because the past 15, 20 years was so hectic and so demanding that I just need to just breathe out easily after all those years.”

The Czech, a winner of 13 ATP Tour singles titles, including the 2005 Rolex Paris Masters, competed at the Nitto ATP Finals on six occasions, between 2010-2015.

The nine players took part in an on-court ceremony following Stefanos Tsitsipas’ semi-final victory over Roger Federer on Saturday afternoon. Ross Hutchins, the ATP’s Chief Player Officer, then paid tribute to the retirees off the court, presenting them with frames highlighting standout moments of their careers.

Ferrer, who retired in May and has since been named the Tournament Director of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, rose to a career-high No 3 in the ATP Rankings and won 27 singles titles in a 19-season career. He finished runner-up at 2013 Roland Garros, triumphed at the Rolex Paris Masters in 2012 and was also the finalist at the 2007 Nitto ATP Finals

Fans’ favourite Baghdatis recorded 349 singles match wins in a career that ended at Wimbledon in July. The former World No. 8, who reached the 2006 Australian Open final, captured four ATP Tour titles. Youzhny finished his career one victory shy of 500 match wins in October 2018, but it didn’t matter to the former World No. 8 Muscovite, who spent 13 straights seasons in the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings and won nine titles from 20 finals.

Mirnyi, who retired also 12 months ago, climbed to the top of the ATP Doubles Rankings for the first time on 9 June 2003, and he would spend 57 weeks atop the doubles mountain. The Belarusian won 52 tour-level doubles titles, including 10 Grand Slam men’s doubles crowns (and eight in mixed doubles). He also captured the London 2012 Olympics mixed doubles gold medal with Victoria Azarenka. As a singles player, he ascended as high as No. 18 in the ATP Rankings.

Former World No. 9 Almagro clinched 13 titles from 25 clay-court finals, while Estrella Burgos broke into the Top 100 for the first time at the age of 33 and captured three Quito crowns. Stepanek, who stopped playing in November 2017, was a former World No. 8 singles player and No. 4 on the doubles court, earning the 2012 Australian Open and 2013 US Open crowns with Leander Paes.

Matkowski, who retired in June, partnered Mariusz Fyrstenberg to the title matches of the 2011 US Open and the Nitto ATP Finals. The Pole won 18 team crowns.

Tomas Berdych created plenty of memorable moments in London throughout his career. He endeared himself to the British public by reaching his lone Grand Slam final at 2010 Wimbledon and making six consecutive appearances (2010-2015) at the Nitto ATP Finals, winning new fans each year with his baseline game, centered on a powerful forehand, along with his composure under pressure.

The city proved a fitting location for Berdych to call time on his storied 17-year ATP Tour career. The 34-year-old Czech announced his retirement from professional tennis on Saturday at The O2 and took part in a special on-court ceremony that celebrated his achievements. Berdych competed in his final professional match at this year’s US Open and said an ongoing back injury forced him to step away.

Welcome back to London, @tomasberdych! ?#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/STGXzKhalz

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 16, 2019

“The feeling I went through in my last official match was one that told me I tried absolutely everything, but the end result is how it is,” Berdych said. “The level I was always chasing, the top results, being in the top positions [of the ATP Rankings]… My body doesn’t allow me to do so.

“I always look at situations very realistically. I was standing with my feet on my ground. When I made my decision with myself and [loved ones], I felt a big relief.”

Berdych won 13 ATP Tour titles during his career, including the 2005 Rolex Paris Masters (d. Ljubicic), when he arrived as a fresh-faced 20-year-old at No. 50 in the ATP Rankings. He also led the Czech Republic to the 2002 and 2003 Davis Cup titles. Berdych was a staple at the highest levels of the game for more than a decade, reaching the Top 10 during 11 seasons on Tour (2006-2008, 2010-2017) and peaking at No. 4 in May 2015.

But the Czech still viewed his Wimbledon final as the pinnacle of his career. He stunned defending champion Roger Federer in the quarter-finals, then followed up with a straight-sets win against Novak Djokovic before falling in the final to Rafael Nadal. Although some referred to his two weeks at The All England Club as a dream run, he viewed it as a logical extension of long hours on the practice court.

“I wouldn’t say ‘dream’. It’s a good result, but the results come after really hard work and that’s what I’m doing. That’s why I’m preparing every day,” Berdych said after his semi-final win over Djokovic. “It’s not happening as a miracle. You need to do something to bring those good results.”

Although Berdych’s game never betrayed him, he ultimately accepted that his body had. He missed the last five months of the 2018 season due to his back injury and was limited to nine tour-level events this year. Berdych’s consummate professionalism throughout his career, including attempts to regain full health, made it easier for him to hang up his racquets.

“I don’t have any regrets. Even the bad things or negative experiences I went through were there for a reason. Without them, I wouldn’t be as good as I was,” Berdych said. “I was always trying to do the best I possibly can. This is something you create with your achievements and your behavior. I was ready for every single match and putting 100 per cent into every time I stepped on the court.”

Although retiring from any profession after 17 years poses challenges, Berdych is ready for the next chapter of his life. He’s eager to spend more time with loved ones and explore new possibilities that are available to him.

“The plan is not to have any plans. The last 15 or 20 years were so hectic that I just need to breathe out easily,” Berdych said. “I need to have time for myself and my family, who gave me almost everything. I didn’t have the proper time because the tennis career requires being very selfish and absolutely into the sport. And now I have the time.

“Sport was my life from the time I was a kid until now and I wouldn’t change that, absolutely not. But if it’s just going to be [my profession] or just as my hobby, I really don’t know. And I don’t want to know. I really just want to have every day as a clean slate.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas finished last year as the Next Gen ATP Finals Champion and is now one match away from concluding this year as the last man standing at the Nitto ATP Finals. The Greek produced an outstanding display on Saturday to dispatch six-time champion Roger Federer 6-3, 6-4 at The O2 in London.

“I remember myself being one of these kids here, watching the event and… I could never picture myself standing here, but it did happen,” Tsitsipas said. “Dreams do come true.”

“I remember myself being one of these kids watching the event. Dreams do come true.”

Congratulations. @StefTsitsipas ?

?: @TennisTV | #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/H2tV8qU3u5

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 16, 2019

The 21-year-old Greek joined Grigor Dimitrov (2017 champion) and David Goffin (2017 finalist) as the only players to reach the title match in their debut appearance at the season-ending championships. He’s one of eight players to advance out of round-robin action in their first attempt.

First-Time Success At ATP Finals

“There is so much for me to learn from all these players. Roger, as well,” Tsitsipas said. “I grew up watching Roger as a kid, watching him here at the Nitto ATP Finals, watching him at Wimbledon, playing [tour-level] finals, and wished I could step out on the court one day and face him. Today, I’m here, living the dream.”

Tsitsipas autographed the camera post-match by writing “Stranger Things,” but his outstanding serving has made his inspired run anything but odd. He saved 11 of 12 break points against Federer and leads the field this week in service games won (44/47, 94%)

He’ll face Dominic Thiem or Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s championship match. Tsitsipas trails Thiem 2-4 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry, but leads Zverev 4-1 and defeated the German on Wednesday in Group Andre Agassi.

The Greek improved to 2-2 in his FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry with Federer, with all four matches taking place this year. Tsitsipas prevailed at the Australian Open and London, while Federer triumphed in Dubai and Basel.

“I thought that he played really well. He took the ball early. I know he does that. I thought I returned pretty good on the first serve… But for the most part, I wasn’t quite getting into the rallies the way I wanted to,” Federer said. “I think I have to credit him for pushing me to not play at the level I was hoping to today.”

What a year it’s been ❤️

See you next year, @rogerfederer ?#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/7RtKQqPs5K

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 16, 2019

Their centre court clash offered little subtlety and was purely about first-strike tennis. Both men ran around their backhand and looked for opportunities to attack with their forehand. They also moved forward to finish off points whenever possible, although the Greek typically ended points immediately with his forehand approach.

It was clear from the outset that Federer had the sold-out crowd on his side. They erupted with cries of “Let’s go, Roger!” after he carved a slice backhand passing shot to earn a break point in the opening game, but Tsitsipas kept them from getting involved early by holding serve.

The second game of the match proved to be pivotal. Federer picked the correct moments to attack with his forehand and move forward, but was unable to finish off the points at net. He missed a pair of routine overheads to give Tsitsipas break point and the Greek pumped his fist when he converted with a down-the-line forehand winner.

“I think getting broken with missing two smashes in one game, that hasn’t [happened] in a long, long time or ever. So that was tough,” Federer said. “That’s not something you can train or practise for. [My] feet were not quite there yet, still not quite getting used to the high ones.”

A pair of baseline errors from Tsitsipas at 4-2 perked up the Centre Court crowd as Federer reached triple break point. But just as he did on numerous occasion during Friday’s defeat against Rafael Nadal, the Greek found powerful first serves when he needed them to bail himself out of trouble.

Federer shifted his tactics as Tsitsipas served for the set at 5-3, opting for backhand-to-backhand exchanges in which he added extra topspin to his shots. The strategy worked as Federer either won the exchanges outright or created an opening to finish off points with his forehand. He earned another break point at 30/40, but Tsitsipas waved it off with a swinging forehand volley winner.

A titanic eight-deuce game ensued with plenty of flashy shotmaking from both players. Federer erased three of the first four set points Tsitsipas earned with clean baseline winners, but hit unforced errors on both of his break point chances.

Tennis on ANOTHER LEVEL!

Sensational from @rogerfederer & @StefTsitsipas ?

?: @TennisTV | #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/8SU2dUuSAy

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 16, 2019

As the game entered its eighth deuce, Federer had won nine of the 12 points in which he got the return into play. Perhaps sensing the pattern, Tsitsipas didn’t let the Swiss get involved in the last two points of the set. The 21-year-old stepped up to the baseline and hammered two big first serves to grab the early lead. Tsitsipas saved all six break points in the opening set. 

“Sometimes in matches like this, you wonder how you overcome all these difficulties, all these break points down. It’s really a mental struggle, so I’m really proud that I managed to save so many break points today,” Tsitsipas said. “I was trying not to give an easy time to Roger. He was playing good and shout out to him as well. He did pretty well this week.”

In a nearly identical start to the opening set, a poor game from Federer at 1-1 in the second set saw him hit four errors early in the rallies and hand an early break to Tsitsipas. The Swiss once again reached 0/40 on Tsitsipas’ serve in the next game and couldn’t get over the line, but he refused to be discouraged.

The six-time champion earned his 10th break point of the match with a drop shot winner and roared in approval after a forehand error from Tsitsipas clinched his first break of the day. The capacity crowd matched the volume as they chanted his name in unison.

Another lengthy battle ensued at 2-2 as both players had opportunities to take the lead. But while Tsitsipas had largely struggled in longer rallies during the match, he stepped up as the game reached its third deuce. The Greek played defense before launching a backhand just inside the baseline to earn break point, then rifled a forehand winner to secure his third break of the day.

One final twist was on offer as Tsitsipas served for the match at 5-4. Federer earned another pair of break points and the crowd tried to will him on, but Tsitsipas was not to be denied. He erased both with aggressive play and closed out the match with his sixth ace, looking to his team in disbelief after wrapping up play in one hour and 36 minutes.

SIMPLY SUPERB FROM STEF!

The youngest player in the field has made the FINAL! ?

?: @TennisTV | #NittoATPFinals | @StefTsitsipas pic.twitter.com/4PDVn8OGdV

— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 16, 2019

Did You Know?
In Federer’s two defeats against Tsitsipas, the Swiss went just 1-for-24 on his break point opportunities.

Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus saved two match points on Saturday afternoon for a place in the doubles title match at the Nitto ATP Finals.

The fifth-seeded South African-Kiwi team scraped through against top-seeded Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, the 2019 year-end No. 1 duo, 6-7(5), 7-6(10), 10-6 in two hours and nine minutes at The O2 in London. They recovered from 0/4 in the second-set tie-break and saved match points at 6/7 and 8/9.

Klaasen and Venus, who went 2-1 to win Group Jonas Bjorkman round-robin play, will now prepare to meet last year’s runners up Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, the seventh-seeded French team, or second-seeded Pole Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo of Brazil.

Competing together at the Nitto ATP Finals for the second straight year, Klaasen and Venus have a 35-17 match record in 2019, including two ATP Tour titles at the Noventi Open in Halle (d. Kubot/Melo) and the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. (d. Rojer/Tecau).

In a tight 54-minute first set, a low backhand return from Farah at 5-5 got Klaasen in trouble and the South African hit a backhand volley into the net for the first break. But clever play from Klaasen in the next game, saw Cabal get broken to 30 for a tie-break.

Klaasen and Venus moved to a 5/4 advantage, however, on the next point, Venus went for broke and missed a forehand on Farah’s serve. It was the impetus the Colombians needed and on their first set point at 6/5, Farah ripped a backhand return down the line, only for Klaasen to be stunned by the pace.

In the second set, Klaasen saved a deciding point deuce at 1-2 with a body serve to Cabal. In the second tie-break of the match, Cabal and Farah surged to a 4/0 lead only to see Klaasen and Venus win six of the next eight points. Two match points came and went at 6/7 (Venus forehand volley winner) and at 8/9 (Cabal forehand return down the line into the net), before Farah hit a double fault at 10/10 for Klaasen and Venus’ fourth set point of the tie-break. Klaasen served down the middle and Farah mis-timed a forehand wide.

After a brief of-court break, Klaasen and Venus return to The O2 arena and won the first five points of the Match Tie-break and completed their 35th match win of the year with a smash winner from Venus.

Cabal and Farah, who had beaten Klaasen and Venus in their past three FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings, finish their career-best season with a 50-19 match record, which includes the Wimbledon and US Open crowns among five titles. They had been aiming to become the first South American team to reach the final in Nitto ATP Finals history. Melo was runner-up in 2017 (w/Kubot) and 2014 (w/Dodig).