Six-time tournament winner Roger Federer missed out on the final at the ATP Finals. The 38-year-old Swiss defeated on Saturday in the semifinals the 17 years younger Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas 3: 6, 4: 6. In the battle for the title Tsitsipas meets on Sunday (19 clock, TV: Sky) to defending champion Alexander Zverev or the Austrian Dominic Thiem, which are on Saturday evening opposite (21 clock, TV: Sky).
For the 21-year-old Tsitsipas it was the second victory in the fourth comparison with Federer. The defeated 20-time Grand Slam winner played his 16th semifinals at the ATP World Championship of the best eight tennis pros of the year, but missed his eleventh final and the first since 2015. His last title at the tournament is already eight years back ,
Peter Nicholls / REUTERS
Roger Federer missed his first final since 2015
Tsitsipas had qualified for the first time and as the first player in his country for the financial statements. Already in the group stage, the youngest player in illustrious figure eight field showed exciting tennis, beat Zverev and Daniil Medvedev and had to give the world ranked first Rafael Nadal narrowly beaten.
Seven set balls needed
The age difference of 17 years between Tsitsipas and Federer was the biggest ever between two players in the history of the tournament. Tsitsipas, however, addressed the generosity of the generation without any awe. What he did not succeed in the recent two comparisons with Federer in the 4: 6, 4: 6 defeats in the final of Dubai and the semi-finals of Basel, he managed this time immediately: Tsitsipas equal to the first serve took off his opponent , He needed seven set balls, but decided after 46 minutes the first round 6: 3 for themselves.
Federer does not use his chances
As with his success against Federer earlier this year at the Australian Open, Tsitsipas kept despairing the Swiss for throwing the toughest balls back into the field. In the second set Tsitsipas managed the break to 2: 1, but Federer took directly after the Greek from the serve from. It should remain the only used of twelve Swiss breakballs.
When Tsitsipas opened for the match, he fell behind 15:40, but the world rankings sixth deflected both breakballs and finished after 96 minutes of the game with the first match point.
