Roger Federer Wins Opening Match at ATP Finals

One break of serve, and a mini-break, was all Roger Federer needed to win his opening match at the season-ending ATP Finals on Sunday.

LONDON (AP) One break of serve, and a mini-break, was all Roger Federer needed to win his opening match at the season-ending ATP Finals on Sunday.

The 19-time Grand Slam champion broke Jack Sock in the first game of the 6-4, 7-6 (4) victory at the O2 Arena. Both then held serve the rest of the way.

The 36-year-old Federer, who is ranked No. 2 in the world and won the Australian Open and Wimbledon this season, is the oldest player ever to qualify for the season-ending tournament, which started in 1970.

Federer broke Sock, who was making his debut at the tournament, in the very first game, hitting a backhand winner to take the 1-0 lead.

.@rogerfederer kicks off his #NittoATPFinals campaign in style, holding off a determined Sock 6-4, 7-6 in his opening match.#USOpen pic.twitter.com/hU9Yd2GVWN

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) November 12, 2017

That was the only break point for either player in the first set. But Federer had plenty more in the second set - five, to be exact. He just couldn't convert them.

In the tiebreaker, Federer went ahead 3-2 with a mini-break, but Sock got it back. After another to make it 5-4, however, it was nearly over. Federer won the final two points on his serve to go to 1-0 in the round robin.