5 Players to watch out for in the Nitto ATP Finals
The final ATP event of the year, the Nitto ATP Finals 2019 is all set to commence in London and it promises to be a tight contest between the 'Big 3' - Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal. Federer won the Basel Open last month while Novak Djokovic won the Paris Masters this month, and both players will eager to continue their fine form.
ATP events have always provided a great platform for some of the higher-ranked players to prepare for major grand slam events and also help the upcoming players to assess their game. It also allows some of the lower-ranked players to improve their rankings and get some much-needed match practise before any grand slam event.
The London Masters will see some of the finest players keen to make a statement at the highest level. Youngsters such as Stefanos Tsitsipas, Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev will look to end the year on a high, while the battle for the year-end No.1 rank between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic is sure to add excitement to the contest.
Last year’s London Masters was won by Alexander Zverev and the German will be eager to defend the title. ATP events have always produced new winners and this time too, there could be a new winner.
Here we take a look at five such players who could be expected to win the event.
# 1 Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem is considered to be the next top star on the global circuit and did himself some serious favours by winning the Indian Wells Masters in March this year and also won the Barcelona Open in April.
The Austrian also finished runner-up against Rafael Nadal in the French Open this year. Thiem beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 to win the China Open and continued his fine form to register a two-set win against Diego Schwartzman at the Erste Bank Open last month.
Thiem's biggest USP is his destructive forehands combined with his solid groundstrokes, which can trouble any opponent. His quick groundstrokes have outdone many opponents, while the topspin he applies to the ball is quite effective during the run of play, apart from his main weapon, a powerful single-handed backhand.