The fast-playing surface at the Inalpi Arena in Turin appear to favor Alexander Zverev. That was the case on Sunday as the 2018 and 2021 ATP Finals champion served to perfection and produced a brilliant effort to take down Turin debutant Ben Shelton, 6-3, 7-6(6). 
Zverev improves to 5-0 lifetime against Shelton with the win and moves atop the Bjorn Borg Group alongside Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated Alex de Minaur in straight sets in Sunday’s first singles match in Turin.
A slow start in the opening set proved difficult to overcome for Shelton, who found himself at triple break point, serving at 2-2, 0-40 early in the contest. On the next point, Shelton’s shot caught too much air and Zverev stepped in to hit a forehand winner that landed just inside the baseline for his first break of the day and a 3-2 lead.
Zverev’s reaction – a hearty shout towards his box – made the German’s intention clear. A two-time ATP Finals champion, he is aiming to end his up-and-down season on a high note.
Another 0-40 hole would prove unmanageable for Shelton in the ninth game of the set. The American saved the first point of the set but fired a volley at the net and it was Zverev who took the set in a blistering 28 minutes, with two converted breaks, eight winners and just three unforced errors.
Zverev hit 88 percent of his first serves and won 16 of 17 service points in the set to further stamp his authority on it.
The second set was a much closer affair and should have gone Shelton’s way. After both players held serve through the set, Shelton took a 4-0 lead into the tiebreak, which eventually took him to triple set point at 6-3. But nerves got the better of the American and he was unable to capitalize as Zverev rallied and held off the last five points to claim victory in 93 minutes.
“In the tiebreak he started amazingly,” Zverev said. “Yeah, I missed maybe one or two first serves, but the forehand he hit was ridiculous.
“I felt like I had to control the things I could control and I was doing well… When I came back and felt like I was in the rallies, then I could do something. I did it well at the end of the tiebreak and I’m very happy with that win.”
The German finished with 18 winners to Shelton’s 20, but the difference was in unforced errors – just ten for Zverev and 26 for Shelton.
Zverev won all but ten service points as he improves to 55-23 on the season.
Shelton will reach his young career No. 5 on Monday to join Nadal and Draper as the only other left-handers to reach the Top-5 of the PIF ATP Rankings since 2000, but he will be disappointed with how Sunday’s clash ended. The American fell to 0-15 lifetime against the Top 3, and 40-22 on the season.
