Day 8 - Sunday, 17 November 2019 ATP Tour Tournament Media ATPTour.com NittoATPFinals.com Fabienne Benoit: [email protected] (ATP PR) Twitter: @ATPTour @ATPMediaInfo Hilary Peck: [email protected] (Press Officer) Facebook: @ATPTour #NittoATPFinals TV & Radio: TennisTV.com CHAMPIONSHIP FAST FACTS The singles championship of the Nitto ATP Finals on Sunday between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Dominic Thiem will be the seventh meeting between the first-time finalists. Both players won their group with 2-1 records and advanced to the final with straight-set semi-final wins over former tournament champions. Thiem holds a 4-2 head-to-head advantage (3-1 on hard courts) and in their previous meeting this season in the final of the China Open in Beijing on 6 October, Thiem came back to win 36 64 61. This is their first indoor meeting. Last year the Austrian won three of their five meetings. Tsitsipas, 21, is the youngest tournament finalist since Juan Martin del Potro (21) in 2009 (l. to Davydenko) and the youngest player to make his debut and reach the final since Jim Courier (21) in 1991 (l. to Sampras). Thiem will finish a year-end best No. 4 in the ATP Rankings (from No. 5) by reaching the final. Both Players in First Nitto ATP Finals Championship (Eighth time in tournament history) 2019 – Tsitsipas vs. Thiem 2017 – Grigor Dimitrov d. David Goffin 2008 – Novak Djokovic d. Nikolay Davydenko 2001 – Lleyton Hewitt d. Sebastian Grosjean 1998 – Alex Corretja d. Carlos Moya 1991 – Pete Sampras d. Jim Courier 1978 – John McEnroe d. Arthur Ashe 1976 – Manuel Orantes d. Wojtek Fibak Four First-Time Champions: This is the fourth straight year a first-time Nitto ATP Finals champion will be crowned with Tsitsipas or Thiem holding the trophy on Sunday. In the past three years Zverev (2018), Grigor Dimitrov (2017) and Andy Murray (2016) were first-time champions. The last time this happened in the tournament was from 1988-91 with future International Tennis Hall of Famers Boris Becker (1988), Stefan Edberg (1989), Andre Agassi (1990) and Pete Sampras (1991) winning the title. What’s At Stake: The champion will earn an additional $1,354,000 and 500 ATP Rankings points - The winner will earn $2,656,000 and 1,300 ATP Rankings points for the week - The finalist will earn $1,302,000 and 800 ATP Rankings points for the week Youngest Champions: If Tsitsipas (21 years, 3 months) wins the title, he will be youngest champion since 20-year-old Hewitt in 2001 and 6th-youngest champion in tournament history: Champion Year Age John McEnroe 1978 19 years, 11 months Pete Sampras 1991 20 years, 3 months Andre Agassi 1990 20 years, 6 months Lleyton Hewitt 2001 20 years, 9 months Boris Becker 1988 21 years, 13 days Doubles Championship: No. 7 seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut take on No. 5 seeds Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus for the first time. Both teams won their respective groups with the Frenchmen the only unbeaten players (singles or doubles) in this year’s tournament. In fact Herbert and Mahut have not lost a set (8-0) going into the final. Herbert and Mahut are trying to become the first Frenchmen to capture the Nitto ATP Finals title since Michael Llodra and Fabrice Santoro in 2005 Shanghai. Klaasen is trying to become the first South African to win the tournament title since Ellis Ferreira in 2001 Bangalore (w/Leach). Klaasen was a finalist (w/Ram) in 2016. Venus, who was a semi-finalist in 2017 (w/Harrison), is trying to become the first player from New Zealand to capture the title in tournament history. Nitto ATP Finals Day 8 - Sunday, 17 November 2019 2 Page 2 of 4 www.ATPTour.com First-Time Success: Tsitsipas is the 13th player to qualify and reach the final in his Nitto ATP Finals debut. He is trying to become the seventh player to win the title in his debut, the second in three years: 2019 - Stefanos Tsitsipas (vs. Thiem) 2017 - Grigor Dimitrov (d. Goffin) – only final to feature two players to qualify for the first time 2007 - David Ferrer (l. to Federer) 2006 - James Blake (l. to Federer) 2001 - Sebastien Grosjean (l. to Hewitt) 1998 - Alex Corretja (d. Moya) 1991 - Jim Courier (l. to Sampras) 1985 - Boris Becker (l. to Lendl) 1978 - John McEnroe (d. Ashe) 1974 - Guillermo Vilas (d. Nastase) 1971 - Ilie Nastase (Smith 2nd in Round Robin) 1970 - Stan Smith (Laver 2nd in Round Robin) Infosys ATP Scores & Stats Comparison: Here is a look at both players statistics in their four matches leading into the championship. They are No. 1 and 2 in break points saved with Tsitsipas leading at 86% and Thiem next at 68%. Thiem leads in break points converted (67%). Bold Leads tournament Statistical Category Tsitsipas Thiem ACES 30 18 1st SERVE % 64% 61% 1st SERVE POINTS WON 77% 70% . 2nd SERVE POINTS WON 50% 57% SERVICE GAMES WON 94% (44 of 47) 88% (44 of 50) BREAK POINTS SAVED 86% (19 of 22) 68% (13 of 19) RETURN 1st SERVE PTS WON 24% 27% RETURN 2nd SERVE PTS 52% 48% RETURN GAMES WON 16% (7 of 45) 20% (10 of 49) BREAK POINTS CONVERTED 47% (7 of 15) 67% (10 of 15) Top 10 in ATP Rankings (going into Championship) + Add 500 points with Final win Points No. Year-end Top 10 Finishes (Years) 1) Rafael Nadal 9,985 15 (2005-2019) 2) Novak Djokovic 9,145 12 (2007-2016, 2018-19) 3) Roger Federer 6,590 17 (2002-2015, 2017-19) – Most Top 10 Finishes 4) Dominic Thiem # 5,825 + 4 (2016-2019) 5) Daniil Medvedev 5,705 1 (2019) 6) Stefanos Tsitsipas 4,800 + 1 (2019) 7) Alexander Zverev 3,345 3 (2017-2019) 8) Matteo Berrettini 2,870 1 (2019) 9) Roberto Bautista Agut 2,540 1 (2019) 10) Gael Monfils 2,530 2 (2016, 2019) # Came into the tournament ranked No. 5 2019 Singles Title Leaders: Thiem is co-leader (w/Djokovic) for the most titles on the ATP Tour this season and Tstisipas is trying to capture his third title and become the seventh player with three-more in 2019.Here are the multiple title leaders: Player Titles Novak Djokovic (SRB) 5 Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 2 Dominic Thiem (AUT) 5 Cristian Garin (CHI) 2 Roger Federer (SUI) 4 Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 2 Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 4 Benoit Paire (FRA) 2 Rafael Nadal (ESP) 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 2 Alex de Minaur (AUS) 3 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 2 Nitto ATP Finals Day 8 - Sunday, 17 November 2019 3 Page 3 of 4 www.ATPTour.com FEDEX ATP HEAD2HEADS: SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP [6] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) vs [5] Dominic Thiem (AUT) Thiem Leads 4-2 18 Doha (Qatar) Hard QF Dominic Thiem 7-5 6-4 18 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (U.S.A.)Hard R64 Dominic Thiem 6-2 3-6 6-3 18 Barcelona (Spain) Clay QF Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3 6-2 18 Roland Garros (France) Clay R64 Dominic Thiem 6-2 2-6 6-4 6-4 18 ATP Masters 1000 Toronto (Canada) Hard R32 Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3 7-6(6) 19 Beijing (China) Hard F Dominic Thiem 3-6 6-4 6-1 Tsitsipas 2019 Summary W (2): Marseille (d Kukushkin); Estoril (d Cuevas); F (3): Dubai (l Federer); ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (l Djokovic); Beijing (l Thiem); SF (5): Australian Open (l Nadal); ATP Masters 1000 Rome (l Nadal); Washington (l Kyrgios); ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (l Medvedev); Basel (l Federer); QF (4): Sydney (l Seppi); Sofia (l Monfils); London/Queen's Club (l Auger-Aliassime); ATP Masters 1000 Paris (l Djokovic) W-L: 53-25 (Overall), 14-9 (ATP Masters 1000), 8-4 (Grand Slams), 8-9 (vs. Top 10) By Surface: 36-17 (Hard), 15-5 (Clay), 2-3 (Grass), 14-5 (Indoor), 39-20 (Outdoor) Other: 32-12 (Tiebreaks), 13-13 (Deciding Sets), 42-5 (After Winning 1st Set), 11-20 (After Losing 1st Set) 2019 Titles: 2 / Career Titles: 3 Date of Birth: 12 August 1998 (21) ATP Ranking: 6 / Career-High: 5 (5 August 2019) Nitto ATP Finals W-L (Best Result): 3-1 (2019 in Final) • First Greek to ever qualify in tournament history (31st country) and appearing in career-best 6th final of the season (2-3) and 9th in his career (3-5). Won titles at Marseille (d. Kukushkin) and Estoril (d. Cuevas), 1st on clay. • Posted career-high 53 wins, including 8 over Top 10 opponents (8-9). Coming into this year had 7-11 career record. • Upset No. 2 Nadal to reach 2nd ATP Masters 1000 final at Madrid (l. to No. 1 Djokovic). • At age 20, became youngest player to beat Nadal on clay and youngest with wins over Nadal, Djokovic and Federer. • Saved 12 of 12 break points to defeat 6-time champion Federer en route to Australian Open SF (l. to Nadal). • Became youngest Grand Slam semi-finalist since Djokovic, 20, at 2007 US Open. • Also became youngest Australian Open semi-finalist since Roddick, 20, in 2003. • Achieved career-high No. 5 on 5 August. First Greek to reach Top 10, Top 5, Grand Slam QF and Grand Slam SF. • Earned biggest win of career over No. 1 Djokovic in ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai QF (l. to Medvedev in SF). • Advanced to ATP 500 finals at Dubai (d. Monfils, l. to Federer) and Beijing (d. A. Zverev, l. to Thiem). • Reached Roland Garros 4R, losing to 2015 champion Wawrinka 8-6 in 5th after 5 hours, 9 minutes.