Alexander Zverev secured his spot in London in emphatic style.
The fourth-ranked Zverev swept 19-year-old Andrey Rublev, 6-2, 6-3, marching into the Beijing semifinals and locking up a place in the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals.
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The 20-year-old Zverev joins world No. 1 Rafael Nadal and 19-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer as the third man to qualify for the season-ending tournament set for November 12-19th at the O2 Arena. He’s the youngest man to earn a spot in the season-ending finale since Juan Martin del Potro in 2008.
“It’s obviously a great event, playing in The O2 arena is something amazing for any player,” Zverev told ATP World Tour.com. “The atmosphere is amazing. I’ll be ready for it. This shows me how well I played all over the season, how consistent I was and I think that’s something every player is very proud of.”
Zverev posted his 51st victory of the season—second only to Nadal, who has 59 wins in 2017.
Continuing his quest for a sixth title this season, Zverev will play buddy Nick Kyrgios for a place in the Beijing final.
The 19th-ranked Kyrgios held a 6-0, 3-0 lead over Steve Darcis when the 33-year-old Belgian qualifier retired.
Kyrgios has won two of three meetings with sometime practice partner Zverev—all three matches have come this season—but Zverev posted a 6-4, 6-3 triumph in their most recent match in Toronto en route to the Rogers Cup championship.
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