Tsitsipas rallies, holds off Thiem to win ATP Finals
Stefanos Tsitsipas rallied to beat Dominic Thiem 67 (6), 62, 76 (4) on Sunday in London to become the youngest ATP Finals champion in 18 years and collect the biggest title of his career.
The 21yearold Greek bounced back from dropping a tight first set in the final by racing to a 40 lead in the second, then held off his Austrian opponent’s comeback in the third.
Tsitsipas couldn’t capitalize on another early break and a 31 lead in the deciding set but won the last three points of the tiebreaker, clinching the win when Thiem sent a return wide.
“I have no clue how I played so well in the second set,“Tsitsipas said. “It was pretty frustrating for me to be playing with such nerves for the first time in such a big event. I was a break up (in the third set), I couldn’t manage to hold it. Things were decided in the tiebreaker and I am so relieved by this outstanding performance and fight that I gave out on the court.”
Tsitsipas, making his first appearance at the seasonending tournament for the world’s top eight players after a breakthrough season, beat sixtime champion Roger Federer in Saturday’s semifinals. He is the youngest champion at the ATP Finals since Lleyton Hewitt, then 20, won in 2001.
Thiem beat both Federer and fivetime winner Novak Djokovic in the group stage but lost another big final after twice finishing runnerup to Rafael Nadal at the French Open.
“It was so close,” Thiem said, “but that’s how it is in tennis.”
Mayakoba delayed with crowd at top
Brendon Todd and Vaughn Taylor were tied for the lead with four holes remaining in the raindelayed Mayakoba Golf Classic in
Playa del Carmen, Mexico, when play was suspended because of darkness.
Todd, coming off a win in the Bermuda Championship two weeks ago, shot a 6underpar 65 Sunday morning to take a oneshot lead into the final round over Taylor (66) and Harris English (68).
They all remained in the mix, along with Carlos Ortiz, challenging for his first PGA Tour victory before a home crowd in Mexico. Ortiz was one shot behind and chose not to play the 18th hole when it became too dark to see.
Todd and Taylor were at 20underpar, one ahead of English and Ortiz.
The tournament did not start until Friday because heavy rain washed out the opening round.
Tommy Fleetwood came from six shots behind going into the final round to win the Nedbank Golf Challenge in a playoff in Sun City, South Africa. Fleetwood beat Marcus Kinhult on the first extra hole for a fifth European Tour victory and his first at the Nedbank. The Englishman made par on No. 18 and Sweden’s Kinhult a bogey in the playoff.
Soccer: Cristiano Ronaldo will have to wait a little longer for his 100th international goal, scoring only once as defending champion Portugal secured its place at next year’s European Championship with a 20 win at Luxembourg.
The Juventus forward needed two goals for a century, but only could bundle the ball in from inches out near the end of a closely contested match on a bumpy and muddy field. It moved Ronaldo 10 goals behind former Iran striker Ali Daei (109 goals), who is the only player in world football to have outscored him on the international stage.
Portugal qualified automatically along with Group B winner Ukraine, which already was through and twice rallied to draw 22 at Serbia.