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ATP Finals: Alexander Zverev Completes Stunning Victory Over Marin Cilic

By Harry Floyd

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 12: Alexander Zverev of Germany celebrates during his singles round robin match against Marin Cilic of Croatia during Day Two of the Nitto ATP World Tour Finals at The O2 Arena on November 12, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 12: Alexander Zverev of Germany celebrates during his singles round robin match against Marin Cilic of Croatia during Day Two of the Nitto ATP World Tour Finals at The O2 Arena on November 12, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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Croatian star Marin Cilic suffers a tough defeat at the hands of Alexander Zverev during an opener at this year’s ATP Finals in London.

Rising German tennis star Alexander Zverev is off to the start he was looking for at the 2018 ATP Finals in London. Zverev takes down Croatian great and former US Open champion Marin Cilic in a hard-fought opener at the O2 Arena. The younger Zverev outlasts Cilic, winning both sets in tiebreaks to take the match 7-6 (5), 7-6 (1).

This year marks the second straight appearance at the ATP Finals in London for Zverev.

Look for the young German to be a frontrunner if he can earn a win in his next match. Last year, he fell during the round robin stage of the year end event. His sole win during the group stage action last year, however, came over Cilic. Zverev appears to have his number as of late.

After a red hot star to the year where Cilic reached the finals at the Australian Open, the likes of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal have overtaken the ATP World Tour. Djokovic and Federer make for perennial favorites at the ATP Finals. This year though, anyone like Zverev can jump out and make a name for himself.

Also in the group with Zverev and Cilic is the current Wimbledon and US Open champion Djokovic (Nole is having a PHENOMENAL YEAR) along with American tennis veteran John Isner. Neither group has a player who is not capable of pulling off a title run at the ATP Finals. Winning your opener is crucial for setting up success in the round robin action. Zverev has done just that. Cilic, however, needs to rebound from this loss quickly.

Next. BEST EVER: Federer or Serena?. dark

As for the rest of the action at the O2 Arena to kick off the ATP Finals, their fellow group members and those in Federer’s group, including Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, and Kei Nishikori, all have a shot at glory. Check back to see how the early round men’s singles matches unfold at the 2018 ATP Finals in London.

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