Dominic Thiem enjoyed the best season of his still-fledgling career in 2017, but the Austrian was the first to admit that it did not end the way he had hoped. Thiem dropped his final round-robin encounter at the Nitto ATP Finals on Friday, suffering a 6-4, 6-1 defeat to David Goffin. It was a 'win and you're in' elimination match and Goffin dominated from start to finish, en route to securing a semi-final berth. After storming to a quick 3-0 lead, Thiem was unable to rediscover his rhythm during the 72-minute affair, committing an uncharacteristic 27 unforced errors. Following the loss, the 24-year-old reflected on his performance. "I had a very, very good start obviously," said Thiem. "Again, there were...
In a field limited to only the best of the best at season’s end, the Nitto ATP Finals generates a unique buzz on tour. Roger Federer remembers the exhilaration in qualifying in his early 20s, while his semi-final opponent on Saturday, David Goffin, had his first taste of it as an alternate player at last year’s season finale before qualifying outright this year. In the 15 years since his first season-ending championships, Federer’s outlook has understandably changed. As the 36-year-old said, following his third straight group-stage victory over Marin Cilic, he has come to appreciate it even more at his age. “Look, in the beginning it was like being a kid in a candy store, sharing the locker-room with legends...
For the first time in Nitto ATP Finals history, three debutants are into the semi-finals at the season finale. And with sixth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov, who won Group Pete Sampras, playing eighth-seeded Jack Sock, the second qualifier from Group Boris Becker, the London crowd is guaranteed at least one debutant in the final for the first time since 2007 (David Ferrer). It goes without saying that this final four-clash is a tremendous opportunity for both Dimitrov and Sock. Not only will the winner become the lowest seed to advance to the championship match since No. 6-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2011, but they will give themselves an opportunity to win the biggest title of their careers. That adds even more pressure to...
Grigor Dimitrov is finishing the ATP World Tour season just like he started it: in top form and full of confidence. The sixth seed strolled into the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals on Friday night, beating alternate Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain 6-1, 6-1 to finish Group Pete Sampras play a perfect 3-0. Dimitrov joins Group Boris Becker winner Roger Federer as the only unbeaten singles players, and the Bulgarian has looked impressive doing so. In his opening match, he needed three sets to advance past fourth seed Dominic Thiem, but against Carreno Busta and fellow semi-finalist David Goffin, Dimitrov lost only four games in four sets. “I wanted to keep on going with the style that I've been...
Off pace worked off the charts for David Goffin at The O2 on Friday afternoon. Goffin defeated Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-1 at the Nitto ATP Finals to advance to the semi-final stage of the season finale against Roger Federer on Saturday. Read & Watch Match Report It actually started badly for Goffin, who found himself struggling at 0-3, 0/15 in the early stages of the match. The Belgian then went on a tear, winning 15 straight points to shock Thiem and light up the packed house in London. How did Goffin do it? By delivering a steady of diet of exactly what Thiem didn’t like to devour - slower balls that completely disrupted Thiem’s rhythm and timing. Quite simply, Thiem...
