Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (N.6) beat six-time Masters champion Roger Federer (N.3), 6-3, 6-4 in London in the semifinals of the tournament that brings together the eight best tennis players of the year.
Tsitsipas will play for the title on Sunday with the winner of the duel between Austrian Dominic Thiem (N.5) and defending champion, German Alexander Zverev (N.7).
A ten-time Masters finalist, Federer encountered the best version of a player 17 years younger than him (38 versus 21), the biggest difference in history in a Masters match.
Despite having suffered a tough comeback against Rafael Nadal on Friday, when he won the first set and lost the match in almost three hours, and although he had one day less rest than Federer, Tsitsipas showed that energy and inspiration were with his side.
He started better, breaking the legend’s serve in the second game. Federer, the author of an exhibition that eliminated Novak Djokovic in their last match of the group stage on Thursday, hit only 56% of his first balls and achieved three direct aces (compared to 72% and 12 direct services against to Serbian).
Losing his serve in the first two sets, he always had to run behind Tsitsipas on the scoreboard. He was also not successful in the breaks, getting only 1 of 12 possible, while the Greek achieved 3 of 4.
Winner of the ‘Next Gen’, the ‘Masters’ of the ATP for under 21 years a year ago in Milan, Tsitsipas is one step away from also achieving the trophy with the ‘majors’.