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ATP World Tour Season In Review: Best Rivalries

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPWorldTour.com revisits the fiercest rivalries of 2017. Today we feature Nick Kyrgios vs. Alexander Zverev:

One of the great rivalries in ATP World Tour history was thrust into the spotlight once again in 2017, with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal sweeping the Grand Slams and returning to the Top 2 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. But that wasn't the only matchup that attracted attention. The curtains opened in what might be one of the next great FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalries.

Alexander Zverev and Nick Kyrgios, 20 and 22 years old, respectively, are the two youngest players near the top of the Emirates ATP Rankings. They each were at one point the top-ranked junior in the world, and have been widely considered two of the best young talents on the ATP World Tour.

It was only a matter of time before Zverev, armed with his all-around powerful game, met the enigmatic shotmaker, Kyrgios. And the tennis world got its first look at the matchup this year.

Kyrgios, the No. 15 seed, and Zverev, the No. 18 seed, each defeated Argentines in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells to set up the first of what was expected to be many meetings between the friends. But it wasn't close, with the Australian cruising 6-3, 6-4 in a 73-minute third-round match without facing a break point. He played aggressively, but under control to dismiss the German.

“He's young and will have a great career,” Kyrgios said after the victory. “We will play each other many more times.”

Kyrgios would then go on to defeat second-seeded Novak Djokovic for the second time in 2017 before withdrawing from a quarter-final against Federer due to illness.

It was clear from Zverev's comments after the match that he was highly disappointed with his performance, calling it the “worst match I played all year”. But in the very next tournament, another ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event, he’d get another crack at his fellow rising star.

But again, at the Miami Open presented by Itau, it was Kyrgios who got the better of Zverev 6-4, 6-7(9), 6-3 in the quarter-finals without facing a break point. This match, however, was far more intense. Emotions ran high under the lights in a high-quality affair, but Kyrgios seized his sixth match point to claim the victory.

“I respect his game. He's beaten some of the best players in the world,” Kyrgios said. “We're going to play a lot more times. And he's only going to get better. He's 19 years old… He's going to continually make me better.”

At the moment, it seemed like Kyrgios was not only ahead in the rivalry, but that he was playing his way to the top of the game. After beating Zverev, the Australian competed in just his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final, and pushed Roger Federer — who would win the tournament — to the brink, holding the match on his racquet serving up 5/4 in a final-set tie-break. It was arguably the most impressive performance of his career given the circumstances.

Yet it was the German who was making a charge into the upper echelon of the ATP World Tour by the time they next met. In fact, Zverev soared up the rankings from 24th at the end of 2016 to as high as No. 3 this year, earning his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy in Rome.

So when the duo was set to face off in the Round of 16 at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal, there was even more hype than before. Zverev had just earned his fourth title of the season at the Citi Open and broke into the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings. Just days after saving three match points against Richard Gasquet — including one with a 49-shot rally — everything seemed to be going his way.

And that did not change against Kyrgios, with Zverev cruising 6-4, 6-3 in 73 minutes.

“Against him, it's not easy because he's one of the biggest servers that we have,” said Zverev, who would go on to claim his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Montreal. “He plays with not a lot of rhythm.”

But Zverev found his rhythm in the match and the tournament, becoming the first player outside of the ‘Big Four’ (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray) to win two Masters 1000 titles in a season since David Nalbandian in 2007, and only the second active player (Jo-Wilfried Tsonga) outside of the quartet to own two of the elite trophies.

While Kyrgios can take the racquet out of his opponents' hands, smacking forehand winners from anywhere on the court and serving his way out of trouble on both first and second serves, Zverev brings more of a consistency and will be in virtually every match with his steadier aggression from the baseline, which is especially potent on his two-handed backhand wing. It is an unpredictable matchup in which either player can win on any surface on any day.

That is why it wasn’t entirely surprising to see Kyrgios blast through Zverev in the semi-finals of the China Open, winning the last of the pair’s meetings this year, 6-3, 7-5.

While Zverev and Kyrgios are still working to reach their potential, they are inching ever closer to the very best in the sport. Zverev proved it this year by finishing fourth in the Emirates ATP Rankings and earning a berth at his first season finale. Kyrgios on the other hand did not win a title this season, but triumphed in four of six matches against the Top 5, including two wins against Novak Djokovic.

Both players have the talent to continue improving and if they do so, they will challenge each other in the process.

“He's going to beat me plenty of times in his career,” said Kyrgios at Indian Wells. “I'm going to beat him [too].”

View FedEx ATP Head2Head (Kyrgios leads 3-1)

Kyrgios vs. Zverev: 2017 Meetings
Event Surface Round
Winner
Score
BNP Paribas Open Hard R32 Kyrgios 6-3, 6-4
Miami Open presented by Itaú Hard QF Kyrgios 6-4, 6-7(9), 6-3
Coupe Rogers Hard R16 Zverev 6-4, 6-3
China Open Hard SF Kyrgios 6-3, 7-5
More stories like this in:

Best Rivalries
2017
Alexander Zverev
Nick Kyrgios
Best of 2017

ATP World Tour Season In Review: Best Rivalries

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPWorldTour.com revisits the fiercest rivalries of 2017. Today we feature Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal:
Roger Federer versus Rafael Nadal... Five words that evoke memories of some of the most thrilling matches and jaw-dropping moments in ATP World Tour history.
It is one of the greatest rivalries of all time, but, with both players recovering from injury as the curtain drew on the 2016 season, there were doubts of its renewal going forward. Their streak of 12 consecutive seasons with at least one encounter had come to a halt, and it was looking improbable that the drama would be rekindled with the same gripping intensity.
Would a new chapter be written in 2017? Not even Federer and Nadal could have predicted such a dramatic flip of the script. As the calendar turned to the new year, both players rediscovered their vintage form behind resurgent campaigns. Fans across the sporting world would not be disappointed as the rivalry was renewed in earnest. Not just once or twice, but on four occasions and with a trophy at stake in three of them.
View FedEx ATP Head2Head
A catalogue of pulsating clashes had marked their FedEx ATP Head2Head series over the years and they wasted no time in January, kicking off the season with a five-set classic in the Australian Open final. Eight years after they last squared off for the title at Melbourne Park - won by Nadal in five sets - Federer would exact his revenge. The Swiss recovered from a 1-3 deficit in the decider to capture his 18th Grand Slam championship and fifth Down Under. The two gladiators left the left the capacity crowd on Rod Laver Arena on the edge of their seats for three hours and 38 minutes.
The drama could not have been more palpable, with Federer trailing their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 23-11 to enter the year, including five losses in their previous six encounters. But a seismic shift would ensue in 2017 and their Melbourne meeting would set the tone for the year to come. Federer put an authoritative stamp on the rivalry with a significant change in tactics. The Swiss soared behind an offensive assault, predicated on his serve and a fearless backhand barrage, while Nadal was unable to effectively adjust his own gameplan.
Traditionally, Nadal had owned Federer's backhand with his curling lefty serve and forehand, but the Swiss turned that vulnerability into a weapon. With new coach Ivan Ljubicic, he refused to press or hesitate from the baseline, rather swinging through his backhand for stunning winners. Federer had accumulated six backhand winners in the first four sets of the Aussie Open final, but he crushed eight in the decider.
“I’m out of words,” said Federer, a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 winner. “I'd like to congratulate Rafa on an amazing comeback. There are no draws in tennis, but I would have been very happy to accept one and share it with Rafa tonight.”

With a bigger frame and fewer shanks, the 2017 version of Federer's backhand proved to be like nothing Nadal had ever seen. He refused to be bullied by Nadal's fearsome forehand and took every opportunity to step inside the baseline and go on offense, hitting a steady stream of clean winners to all corners of the court.
Federer and Nadal would jockey for position atop the Emirates ATP Race To London throughout the season and it was the Swiss who continued to make an immediate statement in the first quarter. A pair of straight-set victories at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami would see Federer take command of the rivarly, en route to securing the Sunshine Double.
Federer defeated Nadal 6-2, 6-3 in the fourth round at the BNP Paribas Open, before eventually clinching his fifth trophy at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. It marked the first time he had taken three straight meetings in their rivalry. And another clash would ensue just two weeks later, as Federer and Nadal battled for the Miami Open presented by Itau title. Same match-up and same result. The Basel native extended his run of dominance with a 6-3, 6-4 victory, cementing a 19-1 start to the season.
Federer would complete a perfect 4-0 season against his longtime rival, also adding a 6-4, 6-3 victory in the Shanghai Rolex Masters final - his 27th at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 level. One glance at the stat sheet tells the whole story. Federer broke down Nadal's vaunted return game throughout the year with precision strikes on serve, claiming a combined 80 per cent of first serve points to Nadal's 62 per cent. Quick service games put constant pressure on Nadal's delivery and the Spaniard would concede 15 breaks, saving just 63 per cent of break points. Federer, meanwhile, turned aside 82 per cent of Nadal's break chances.

But while Federer started stronger in 2017, it was Nadal who had the last laugh. The Spaniard is known for his relentless work ethic on the court and that was on full display throughout the remainder of the season, en route to claiming year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. The 31-year-old denied Federer the top spot, despite the Swiss lifting a tour-leading seven trophies. A ruthless clay-court campaign in Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid and Roland Garros, in addition to an impressive hard-court run at the US Open and China Open in Beijing, vaulted Nadal to No. 1.
"The year played out the way it did and Rafa was better," Federer added. "He deserves to be there. I'm really happy for him because he had a rough season as well in 2016. It's great for him."
As the spotlight grew and the drama built to a gripping crescendo in 2017, both stars raised their games to new heights. Grigor Dimitrov, Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev may have staked their claim for a changing of the guard atop the ATP World Tour, but Federer and Nadal have refused to concede their mantles just yet.
"He won two Grand Slams, a few Masters 1000s and is second in the Race with a lot of points, so he played well for the whole season," Nadal said about Federer. "He played very high level of tennis during the whole season, so well done for him and I'm happy to see him play well."
Federer vs. Nadal: 2017 Meetings
Event Surface Round
Winner
Score
Shanghai
Hard F Federer 6-4, 6-3
Miami
Hard F Federer 6-3, 6-4
Indian Wells Hard 4R Federer 6-2, 6-3
Australian Open
Hard
F
Federer 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3

They are two of the most exciting players to watch on the ATP World Tour. No one fights harder and for longer than Rafael Nadal, who always engages the crowd with his patented “¡Vamos!” shouts and left-handed upper cuts. It's as if Nadal, the master of the mental game, is seeking a body blow to his opponent when he delivers the fan-favourite celebration.

But few players leave you in awe when they're in the zone as Grigor Dimitrov does. The Bulgarian's one-handed backhand will have you writing “Did you see that?” texts to friends, and his do-everything game gives him the chance to compete for “Big Titles”, as he first did in 2014, reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals and beating defending champion Andy Murray along the way.

But when Nadal and Dimitrov faced off in the first of their three 2017 FedEx ATP Head2Head matchups, all of which went the distance, it was a surprise meeting of sorts, considering the stage – the Australian Open semi-finals – and what both had been through during the past year.

Just three months before the season's first Grand Slam tournament, Nadal couldn't even comfortably rally on court. In what seems unbelievable now, in mid-October 2016, when Roger Federer helped the Spaniard open his academy in Mallorca, Spain, neither was in good enough shape to play. Nadal was still recovering from his left wrist injury, and Federer was still recuperating from knee surgery that had made him end his season after Wimbledon.

Dimitrov, meanwhile, had also endured a frustrating 2016. His Emirates ATP Ranking had dropped to No. 40 in July, his lowest spot in more than three years, and he had fallen in all three of his title matches.

Yet here they both were, in the semi-finals of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, reigniting their careers to kick off 2017. Nadal had prevailed in five sets against German Alexander Zverev, and rolled into the semi-finals by beating sixth seed Gael Monfils and third seed Milos Raonic. His wrist injury seemed well in the past.

Dimitrov, after a productive off-season in Monte-Carlo, had started 10-0, including three Top 10 wins (Thiem, Raonic, Nishikori) en route to the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp title. The Bulgarian had another reason to be confident in his second Grand Slam semi-final: He had gained his first win against Nadal the last time they had played, in October during the China Open quarter-finals.

“I feel like I have all the tools to go further, and my job isn't over yet,” Dimitrov said before facing Nadal. “I'm looking forward to my match on Friday. I think I'm prepared. I think I'm ready to go the distance.”

Nadal started quicker in their semi-final, though, taking the opener in only 35 minutes with a steady supply of looping crosscourt forehands to Dimitrov's one-handed backhand. The tactic that had helped Nadal for years against Federer was also working against Dimitrov.

But the Bulgarian, who had struggled with consistency in big matches in the past, stayed in the semi-final, encouraging himself with frequent “Come ons” and fist pumps. He smacked a forehand to lead 4-1 in the second set and later evened the match.

Nadal's backhand, not his forehand, helped him clinch the 70-minute third set, as he crushed back-to-back shots from that wing on set point. It looked as if he would take over and wrap up the semi-final in four sets. But Dimitrov refused to fade, staying aggressive, attacking the net and matching Nadal's level.

Midway through the fifth set, however, Nadal snapped a run of 26 consecutive holds and later served out the match. He overcame a staggering 79 winners, including 22 aces, from Dimitrov, who, according to John McEnroe, played the “match of his life”.

Nadal would fall to Federer in the final, the Spaniard's first Grand Slam title match since 2014 Roland Garros. But it was the start of another banner year for Nadal in Grand Slams. He would go on to win a record 10th Roland Garros crown and his third US Open title.

“I feel very happy to be part of this match,” Nadal said after the Melbourne semi-final. “There was a moment in the fifth set that for sure I wanted to win. I said to myself, 'I am giving my best, I am playing very well. If I lose, that's it. Grigor deserves it, too.' I think both of us deserved to be in that final.”

The two wouldn't meet again until the final stretch of the season, and the circumstances had drastically changed since Melbourne. At the China Open in Beijing, top-seeded Nadal was closing in on his first year-end No. 1 finish in the Emirates ATP Rankings since 2013. Dimitrov had cracked the Top 10 for the first time since February 2015 and was looking to secure his debut at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals in London.

A year ago, Dimitrov had upset Nadal in the Chinese capital, and the Spaniard was eager to earn revenge for that lone blemish on his FedEx ATP Head2Head series against the Bulgarian. He blitzed Dimitrov to start, leading by a set and a break. But Dimitrov, the 2016 finalist, broke twice in the second set and evened the match with a stunning backhand winner.

In the third, however, Dimitrov's level slightly dipped, and Nadal seized his moment, breaking three times to prevail 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. Nadal earned his 60th match win of the season and sprinted into the Beijing final, the 110th of his career. He would beat Nick Kyrgios in the final to celebrate his sixth title of the season.
He and Dimitrov wouldn't have to wait long for their third and final contest of the season. A week later, on the quick hard courts of the Shanghai Rolex Masters, they again met late in a tournament, this time in the quarter-finals of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament.

And it was another treat for fans as both players showed off their world-class athleticism and array of hot shots. Nadal took the first set but Dimitrov roared back, overcoming a 2/4 deficit in the second-set tie-break to force a third set. It marked the seventh time in their 11 FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings that they were going the distance. Nadal was again too good in the third set, though, and he served out the match with a service winner to advance 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3.

The Spaniard would finish the season at year-end No. 1 for the fourth time (also 2008, 2010 and 2013). But Dimitrov would end the year on a career-high note as well. In his debut, the 26-year-old went unbeaten to win the Nitto ATP Finals, becoming the first debutant to capture the title since Spain's Alex Corretja in 1998. The last player to go undefeated and win the season-ending crown on debut was John McEnroe in 1978.
The title, Dimitrov's fourth of the year, pushed him to a career-high No. 3 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

Should Dimitrov and Nadal meet once more in Melbourne, in January 2018, it could again be in a semi-final. But this time around, no one should be surprised.

View FedEx ATP Head2Head series (Nadal leads 10-1)

Nadal vs. Dimitrov: 2017 Meetings

Event Surface Round Winner Score

Australian Open Hard SF Nadal 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-4

China Open Hard SF Nadal 6-3, 4-6, 6-1

Shanghai Rolex Masters Hard QF Nadal 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3

ATP World Tour Season In Review: Best Rivalries
Continuing our Season-In-Review series, ATPWorldTour.com revisits the fiercest rivalries of 2017. Today we feature Grigor Dimitrov vs. David Goffin
What makes a rivalry — is it the mix of playing styles or personalities, the intensity of each battle or something different? In 2017, two perennial grafters with great potential clashed on five occasions, improving both tactically and mentally for year-end Top 10 finishes in the Emirates ATP Rankings. While Grigor Dimitrov beat David Goffin in four of their five FedEx ATP Head2Head series meetings this year, the statistic as read is too simplistic to be dismissed as one-sided — a non-rivalry. For while Dimitrov and Goffin are never going to relentlessly overpower an opponent, the fluency of their games and the risks they take under pressure in their pursuit of victory made them leading players of the 2017 season.
Visit Best Of 2017 Series
When Dimitrov reached the 2014 Wimbledon semi-finals, to first break into the Top 10, the achievement was heralded. Here was a former junior World No. 1, finally making his mark, a disruptor to the established order. But the potential threat failed to materialise and he dropped outside of the Top 40. In 2017 and under the guidance of Dani Vallverdu, Dimitrov got off to a 16-1 start — the best record of any player. “There is no hiding from the Australian sun, and when the new season begins you see who has been working and who hasn’t when you come out of the garage,” said Dimitrov, who certainly justified his off-season statement.
In the space of four weeks, Dimitrov and Goffin — both 26 years of age — faced off three times. First there was the Australian Open quarter-finals, a nerve-wracking affair that Dimitrov won 6-3, 6-2, 6-4; then, two weeks later, the Garanti Koza Sofia Open final, when, under enormous pressure on home soil, the Bulgarian collapsed to his knees and burst into tears after a 7-5, 6-4 win. Goffin exacted revenge five days later 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament quarter-finals, playing throughout with great aggression.
Goffin, at 150lbs and one of the lightest players on the ATP World Tour, harking back to the weights of Michael Chang, Lleyton Hewitt and Gilles Simon in their playing primes, had finished 2016 at a year-end No. 11. So the calibre of the Belgian, the consistent threat he posed, was a known factor. But this year, upon overcoming an ankle injury in a freak accident at Roland Garros, his performances were laced with aggressive intent, a willingness to step into the court — particularly on his backhand wing – and hit his serve with greater power. The new approach, backed by his coach Thierry Van Cleemput, resulted in back-to-back ATP World Tour titles at the Shenzhen Open and his first 500-level event at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2017 in Tokyo. And, just like Dimitrov, who had won his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title at the Western & Southern Open in August, the reward for a career-best season was a much-deserved spot at the elite eight-player Nitto ATP Finals in London.
By the time of their fourth meeting of 2017, at the Nitto ATP Finals, Dimitrov had recorded a debut round-robin win against Dominic Thiem 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 at The O2, while Goffin had opened his season finale account with a first victory over World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, albeit hindered by a knee injury, 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-4. A semi-final berth at the Nitto ATP Finals was up for grabs and both players were full of confidence, yet Dimitrov blitzed Goffin in an eagerly-anticipated clash, 6-0, 6-2 in 74 minutes. “It’s a special win for me,” said Dimitrov, who won the first 10 games. “You get a few days out of the year that whatever you touch turns to gold, and that was the first set. My movement was great, I was reading the game really well and believing in my shots.”
It was a signal of intent for Dimitrov, who afterwards admitted, “I am not here just to participate”. Goffin soon recovered with victories over Dominic Thiem, then Roger Federer in the semi-finals. He had been 0-6 against the Swiss superstar, including a 6-1, 6-2 loss in the semi-finals of the Swiss Indoors Basel three weeks earlier and prior to the semi-final, Goffin had admitted, “Honestly, I don't know what to do tomorrow." The Belgian did some quick thinking and shocked Federer 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 to become only the sixth player to beat Nadal and Federer at the same tournament. What next? Dimitrov, four days on from that thumping loss.
The size of the prize and the opportunity to hold aloft the Nitto ATP Finals trophy guaranteed nerves aplenty in the final, but also terrific drama in front of a capacity crowd of 18,000 fans in east London. Dimitrov and Goffin were at their athletic and resilient best, yet once Dimitrov saved four break points in the first game of the deciding set, Goffin was visibly tired, but continued to fight. Dimitrov ultimately claimed the biggest title of his career 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 to follow in the footsteps of Spain's Alex Corretja, who won the title on his debut in 1998. The fifth and final match of their 2017 series was perhaps their finest, showing the desire and mental fortitude, potential and threat both World No. 3 Dimitrov and No. 7-ranked Goffin possess, and, importantly, can inflict at the top of the sport next season.

View FedEx ATP Head2Head (Dimitrov leads 5-1)