WorldTennisMagazine.com takes a look back at ATP World Tour Finals from yester-year in this special series – ATP World Tour Final Rewind. Today we look back to matches from November 18, as excerpted from the book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com) by Randy Walker.
1990 – Twenty-year-old Andre Agassi defeats defending champion and world No. 1 Stefan Edberg 5-7, 7-6, 7-5, 6-2 in 3 hours, 15 minutes to win the year-end ATP Tour Championships, played in Frankfurt, Germany. Says Agassi, “It’s unbelievable to accomplish this at my age. It’s very special. I am proud. There is no question that this is the high point of my career.” The tournament is played for the first time in Germany after a 13-year stint at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
2007 – Roger Federer wins the year-end Tennis Masters Cup for a fourth time, defeating surprise finalist David Ferrer of Spain 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in Shanghai, China. The title is Federer’s 53rd of his career and his eighth on the season, which for the third time, sees him win three of the four major tournaments (Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.) Says Federer. “It was a nice victory, especially proving it, to myself and the world, that I can do it over and over again. This is the year-end tournament that only the best can make it to…I practiced hard to get (to) this level. So when it all comes together in a final like today against Ferrer – it’s fantastic.”
2001 – Twenty-year-old Lleyton Hewitt dominates Sebastien Grosjean 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 to win the year-end ATP Masters Cup in Sydney. Grosjean actually hits significantly more winners than Hewitt in the championship match – 31 to Hewitt’s 12 – but also registers 47 unforced errors.
2006- James Blake upsets defending champion David Nalbandian 6-4, 6-1 to advance to the final of the year-end Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, China, one of the biggest wins of his career. The win allows Blake to finish the season as the No. 4 ranked player in the world and the No. 1 American – ahead of friend and Davis Cup teammate Andy Roddick.. Roger Federer defeats rival Rafael Nadal 6-4, 7-5 in the other semifinal.