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sports Monday 13 noveMber 2017

Roger Federer wins opening match at ATP Finals

By CHRIS LEHOURITES player ever to qualify for though, including a tween-
AP Sports Writer the season-ending tourna- er in the second set when
LONDON (AP) — One break ment, which started in 1970. he was leading 40-15. Fe-
of serve, and a mini-break, In the late match, Alexan- derer got to it and hit a
was all Roger Federer der Zverev beat Wimble- backhand winner.
needed to win his opening don runner-up Marin Cilic “When he hit it, it wasn’t
match at the season-end- 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. very clean. I figured it was
ing ATP Finals on Sunday. Federer broke Sock, who going to go out. It landed
The 19-time Grand Slam was making his debut at just inside both lines,” said
champion broke Jack Sock the tournament, in the very Sock, who still won the
at the start of his 6-4, 7-6 (4) first game, hitting a back- game. “But, I don’t know.
victory at the O2 Arena. hand winner to take the 1-0 It’s Roger, I guess. He can
Both then held serve the lead. do no wrong. Everything
rest of the way, with Feder- “I missed one first serve in goes in.”
er losing only three points the first game,” Sock said. Another light-hearted mo-
on his serve in the second “I had my chances. He put ment came when Sock hit
set. me in some awkward posi- a shot that should have Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates at match point after
beating Jack Sock of the United States in their singles tennis
“Sure, I had a tactical plan tions on some of those fore- set up an easy winner for match at the ATP World Finals at the O2 Arena in London,
with my team,” Federer hands.” Federer. Instead of taking Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017.
said. “But very often in a That was the only break a defensive stance, Sock Associated Press
first match like this, it gets point for either player in turned his back to Federer two in Shanghai and two in alternate after Gael Monfils
thrown overboard because the first set. But Federer had as if to protect himself from London. His last one came withdrew.
at the end you’re just hap- plenty more in the second a shot to body. in 2011. After the Federer match,
py to be serving well. Focus set - five, to be exact. He Federer, surprisingly, put his In 2017, he has won a tour- Rafael Nadal was given his
on that first, and then on just couldn’t convert them. easy chance into the net. best seven titles, the most trophy for finishing the year
the return game sort of try In the tiebreaker, Federer “It was a big distraction, I’ll he has won since taking as the No. 1 player in the
your best, try to keep the went ahead 3-2 with a mini- tell you that,” Federer joked eight in 2007. rankings.
ball in play, and go from break, but Sock got it back. about Sock’s backside, Sock is one of four play- The Spaniard will play his
there.” After another to make it “because it was very big. ers to qualify for the tour- first match at the tourna-
The 36-year-old Federer, 5-4, however, it was nearly That’s what I should have nament for the first time. ment for the top eight play-
who is ranked No. 2 in the over. Federer won the final aimed for.” Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov and ers in the world on Monday
world and won the Austra- two points on his serve to Federer has won a record David Goffin also qualified, against Goffin. In the early
lian Open and Wimbledon go to 1-0 in the round robin. six titles at the ATP Finals, though Goffin played in the match, Dimitrov will face
this season, is the oldest Sock had his moments, including two in Houston, tournament last year as an Dominic Thiem.q
Fed Cup title maximum six Fed Cup
singles in a year since Pe-
Continued from Page 18 all eight Fed Cup match- tra Kvitova for the Czech
es she’s played this sea- Republic in 2011.
Belarus was making its first son — six singles and two Stephens has lost six
appearance in a Fed Cup doubles. Vandeweghe is matches since winning
final. “We are really satis- the first player to win eight the U.S. Open in Septem-
fied we gained this result,” matches since the current ber. She lost both singles
Belarus captain Eduard eight-team World Group matches here in Minsk,
Dubrou said. format was introduced in including to Sabalenka
“Today’s match has 2005. on Saturday. Stephens
showed we have a good “I had a great time out served for the match
team because last time there,” Vandeweghe said. against Sasnovich at 5-3
we faced the team of USA “I really relished in that in the third set, but was
it was 5-love and today moment of having the unable to clinch the title
we were really close to a crowd against me and fir- for the United States. It
good result for us.” ing myself up and believ- United States’ celebrates during the awarding ceremony after took Sasnovich two at-
Vandeweghe proved the ing in myself.” The 25-year- winning the Fed Cup final match between Belarus and USA, in tempts, at 6-5 and 7-6 in
difference between the old Vandeweghe is also Minsk, Belarus, Sunday, Nov.12, 2017. Associated Press the third set, to serve out
two teams. She has won the first player to win the the match. q