Zverev steadies nerves for Turin triumph
Alexander Zverev, nursing a fresh ankle twinge, confronts Ben Shelton's raw power under the Nitto ATP Finals lights, clawing back from set-point peril to seize a vital opening win and rekindle his title chase.
In the charged atmosphere of Turin's Inalpi Arena, Alexander Zverev ignited his campaign at the Nitto ATP Finals with a composed 6-3, 7-6(6) defeat of Ben Shelton on Sunday night. The two-time champion, drawing energy from the event's storied stage, neutralized the American's blistering lefty serves through sharp returns and unflinching baseline exchanges. This opener in the Bjorn Borg Group marked his return to competition just eight days after an ankle injury derailed a semifinal rout by Jannik Sinner at the Paris Masters, yet Zverev's footwork betrayed no hesitation on the swift indoor hardcourt.
His serve stood as an impenetrable wall, conceding zero break points across 93 minutes, while he feasted on Shelton's second deliveries, claiming 76 percent of those points—16 out of 21—to seize control early. The German's deep, angled returns forced the debutant into errors, building a first-set break via a slicing crosscourt backhand that skimmed the line. Even as Shelton's aggression flared in the second, Zverev absorbed the pressure, saving two break points at 2-2 with a blend of underspin slices and inside-out forehands that stretched the court wide.
“He’s an unbelievably aggressive player. Probably one of the most aggressive in the world,” said Zverev of Shelton. “In the tie-break, he started off amazing. Yes, I missed maybe one or two first serves and the passing shot he hit (at 5/4) was ridiculous. I felt like I had to control the things that I could control and I was doing them well. At the end of the day, when the point is on his serve it is always in his control. When I get the return back and in the rally, then I can do something. I did that well at the end of the tie-break and I’m super happy with that win.”
Start as you mean to go on! @AlexZverev | #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/FCgIFHVWtd
— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 9, 2025
Rest restores tactical poise
The brief hiatus in Turin worked wonders, banishing the Paris Masters' shadows and infusing Zverev's strokes with renewed snap. He varied his serve placements to disrupt Shelton's aggressive returns, often following up with one–two combinations that ended points before rallies deepened. The arena's low bounce amplified his flat groundstrokes, pinning the American deep and exposing gaps in his footwork during extended exchanges. This wasn't just physical recovery; it was a mental recalibration, transforming recent frustration into focused dominance on a surface that rewards precision over raw pace.
Shelton's Nitto ATP Finals bow brought fiery intent, his booming lefty deliveries testing Zverev's positioning early, yet the German's returns consistently chipped away at second-serve rhythm. By targeting those softer balls with deep, crosscourt drives, he dictated tempo, forcing unforced errors that echoed through the hushed crowd. The victory extended Zverev's unblemished 5-0 head-to-head edge over Shelton, with four triumphs in 2025 alone—from Munich's final to Cincinnati's quarters—highlighting a matchup where consistency trumps volatility.
Tiebreak tests unbreakable resolve
As the second set knotted toward a tiebreak, the tension coiled tighter, Shelton surging to a 4-0 cushion with ferocious inside-in forehands that rattled the baseline. Zverev, trailing at 6-4 on set points, leaned on passing shots that sliced down the line, his calm demeanor a stark counter to the American's building frenzy. A netted forehand from Shelton at 6-5 cracked the momentum, allowing the German to close with clinical returns that sealed the deal and ignited cheers from the partisan stands.
This clutch sequence evoked Zverev's past glories in the event, where psychological steel has often outlasted physical fireworks. The indoor court's speed favored his cleaner ball-striking, turning Shelton's power against him through redirected angles and timely slices that disrupted rhythm. At 28, he now stands 1-0 in group play, his poise under duress a beacon amid the round-robin's unforgiving math, where every point carries semifinal implications.
Chasing a third Finals legacy
Zverev's Turin affinity runs deep, with prior crowns in 2018 London and 2021 here fueling his quest to join the elite eight men with three Nitto ATP Finals titles. The win's rhythm sets a promising tone for the group stage, where tactical edges like exploiting second serves could prove decisive against upcoming foes. As the arena's lights dimmed, his refreshed stride hinted at deeper runs, blending injury-forged resilience with the event's electric pull to propel a season's endgame surge.
