Five-time former champion Novak Djokovic was impressive in his first match of the 2018 Nitto ATP Finals, winning 42 per cent of return points to defeat big-serving John Isner. And the World No. 1 will look to keep it up on Wednesday when he faces third seed Alexander Zverev.
“Playing Zverev, who also had a straight-sets win today, I look forward to that,” Djokovic said. “It should be a great match. I think [we’ve] played against each other only twice. We split wins. I played him recently in Shanghai, but [he] wasn’t at his best. I expect him to play better than he did in Shanghai.”
In that match at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, Djokovic needed just one hour to oust the German, breaking Zverev’s serve four times without facing a break point himself. The Serbian would eventually win his 32nd ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title. He has won 32 of 34 matches since Wimbledon heading into his second clash of round-robin play at The O2.
“I’m feeling fit physically and mentally. I’m looking forward to that match,” said Djokovic, who lost his only previous FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting against Zverev last year in Rome. “I obviously put myself in a very good position with the group with a straight-sets win.”
There are already scenarios in which, after two matches, Djokovic can earn his eighth semi-final berth at the season finale. If the World No. 1 beats Zverev and Isner dismisses Marin Cilic, Djokovic will guarantee his spot in the last four. But if Zverev stuns Djokovic and Cilic defeats Isner, Zverev will be through.
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Isner, who is debuting in London at the age of 33, knows that it won’t get easier for him at The O2 after his loss to Djokovic. As the American said, every match is difficult as everyone competing is inside the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings. But he remains positive about his chances of battling into contention for a semi-final spot.
“It’s definitely been done before. You lose your first match, you are definitely not out of it. This next match is of course important,” Isner said. “I’ve got to try to stay positive and play a better match on Wednesday and see where I stand after that.”
Cilic holds a 7-3 FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead against Isner. But the American defeated Cilic in their only match this year, in Miami, en route to claiming his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title. Additionally, Cilic will have to overcome the disappointment of his opening loss against Zverev, a match in which he led by a break in both sets.
“It’s not easy also to come back again and push yourself,” said Cilic, who owns a 1-9 record at the Nitto ATP Finals. “But that’s also part of the game. [I’m] looking forward to next two matches in the group. Hopefully, I can build up on this match today and that I can play better.”
Did You Know?
Djokovic has won the Nitto ATP Finals five times in his career. And in the times that he has triumphed at the season finale, he tallied a combined 13-2 record in round-robin play.
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