STEFANOS Tsitsipas is the lastest ATP Finals champion after downing Austrian, Dominic Thiem in a two-and-a-half hour epic contest in London. Both players were absolutely sensational throughout, with neither player giving an inch, but a 4-0 dominant run in the second set to the 21-year-old Greek, as well as holding firm despite Thiem’s powerful hitting in crunch moments, helped him to his first ATP Finals title. It took two tiebreakers to decide the fifth and sixth in the world, but eventually it was the sixth ranked Tsitsipas that broke through for a 6-7 6-2 7-6 victory.

The match started as you would expect with two big hitters going at it, with the first crucial moment happening in the fifth game with Thiem at 15-30 after a missed forehand at the net at 2-3 used a challenge, but then fought back to hold serve, used another challenge next game which also failed. Tsitsipas was working well at the net mixing between baseline rallies, serves and volleys, but his unforced error count was starting to build. The Greek had a touch of luck when a ball was called out at the opposite baseline but Thiem – who was on top of the rally at the time – put his head in his hands knowing it would be challenged and won, leading to Tsitsipas having a get-out-of-jail free card and then finished off the game, which put it back at 4-3 on serve.

Some of the shots played by both competitors was something of a treat for fans, with Tsitsipas hitting a monster down the line winner of Thiem’s serve to leave the Austrian flat-footed and then hold firm to open up to break points. Thiem showed no signs of pressure though with an ace to the back corner of the square then risked everything with back-to-back volleys to level at deuce, then went on with a couple of terrific service points to level at 4-4. Both players continued their great work at the net with some nice net play to ensure it went past the 10 games.

Heading to a tiebreak two games later, Tsitsipas would have been confident with a 32-12 record this year in 6-6 deciders – ranked number one on the tour – while Thiem was 16-11. But an early mini-break to Thiem saw the Austrian move to 3-0 early and held firm to maintain a 5-2 lead with back-to-back unreturned serves. Tsitsipas again had a touch of luck when a Thiem shot hit the net cord but bounced back instead of over, and lead to the Greek clawing back to 3-5 rather than go 2-6 down at that stage. Neither player was relenting as the Greek levelled at 5-5, before Thiem stepped up in a crucial moment again to ace and set up set point. Tsitsipas won the next point to level, but then hit a fatal unforced error from the baseline on serve, then Thiem returned with a massive serve to win the set, 8-6 in the tiebreaker.

Tsitsipas might have been disappointed with the way he finished off the first set, but he came out with some serious fire in the belly early, racing to a 4-0 lead after breaking Thiem not once, but twice to start the second set in a dominant statement to his opponent. Dominant was almost not enough justice for the way the 21-year-old Greek star played, winning 16 of the first 18 points to completely dominate the Austrian in what no doubt would have raised eyebrows across the tour. While Thiem managed to break even for the remainder of the set, the damage was done with Tsitsipas taking out the second set 6-2 to extend it into a third set.

Both players were seemingly back on track with some competitive final games in the second set, but it was once again the young Greek who struck first, breaking the Austrian in the third game before holding to love and going 3-1 up. Thiem held serve, then had two break point opportunities, missing the first but then capitalising with a big return off the second serve to level at 3-3, once again sensing the moment and holding his nerve. Both players traded blows with the third set looking to go the distance much like the first, as they took turns to hold serve – Tsitsipas wasted just 67 seconds to ensure it went to 5-5 with another dominant service game. As much as both tried in the remaining service games, neither could find a way to break and it went to a second tiebreaker to determine the ATP Finals champion.

The tiebreak was an arm-wrestle with both players trying to get on top with some powerful baseline shots and then forcing their opponent out of court before coming in to deliver a deadly blow at the net. It was Thiem who blinked first, missing a drop shot from deep and then made a forced error with a backhand straight into the net when he was caught in no-man’s land to give his Greek opponent a break at 1-4. Given how he had served all match, it was hard to see Tsitsipas giving up points on his serve, but Thiem refused to throw in the towel, not backing down and slamming home a number of powerful forehands to force Tsitsipas into an uncharacteristic baseline error, then confronting him with a powerful return into the corner and net smash to go back on serve. Thiem was pulling out the party tricks as he produced one of the shots of the game with a down-the-line backhand to draw level, but a similar attempt went long on the next point and all of a sudden, Tsitsipas was 5-4 up with two serves to come. Thiem’s bravery might have helped get him back in it, but his powerful shot making had its cons, with a forehand error straight into the net handing Tsitsipas the first match point of the night, which the Greek needed no second chances, with a big second serve for the Austrian to hit an unforced error handing Tsitsipas the title, 6-7 6-2 7-6.

With an 81 per cent first serve points percentage, Tsitsipas was the cleaner of the two over the night, also hitting 34 winners with only 19 unforced errors, and while Thiem had the 36 winners, his risk-taking style saw him hit a massive 50 unforced errors. Both players were unbelievable at the net with 88 and 85 per cent of their points won once approaching there, and Tsitsipas made the most of Thiem’s second serve, winning 48 per cent of those points. While statistics might lean to the Greek talent, it was one of the all-time classic ATP Finals with two current and future stars of our game ready to take over the mantle of the world’s best in the next few years.