Jódar leads Zverev 2-1 in first set at ATP Finals
Rafael Jódar, 20, led world No. 1 Alexander Zverev 2-1 in the first set of their ATP Finals match in Turin on Sunday 15 November, according to The Guardian's live coverage at 14:40 CET.
Jódar opened by winning the first game, and he was still ahead when the live report was filed. In tennis, a set is won by taking six games, and a player who wins the other man's service game has achieved a "break", the single most important event in most sets.
The ATP Finals is the season-ending event for the tour's best players. It is being held at the Inalpi Arena in Torino, and it runs from 15 to 22 November. Zverev arrived ranked No. 1 after winning the French Open and the US Open this year. He is 29.
Jódar's rise has been fast. He reached the ATP top 10 within 287 days of his first match on the main tour, beating the previous record set by former French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten. He won his first ATP title in Morocco. Jódar is 20, which makes the gap in age and experience with Zverev part of the story.
Carlos Alcaraz is also in the Turin draw, so the event will feature more of the sport's top names before the week is out.
For a casual fan, the first set is a useful place to watch. Early leads like this one can be fragile. A player who wins a game on serve has to hold his nerve to keep it, and every game is a small question about who can keep the pressure on.
