The draw ceremony for the 2018 Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at The O2 in London from 11-18 November, was made on The One Show, live on BBC One, on Monday night. Boris Becker, the 1998, 1992 and 1995 champion, took part in the draw.
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Singles – Group Guga Kuerten
[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB)
[3] Alexander Zverev (GER)
[5] Marin Cilic (CRO)
[8] John Isner (USA)
Singles – Group Lleyton Hewitt
[2] Roger Federer (SUI)
[4] Kevin Anderson (RSA)
[6] Dominic Thiem (AUT)
[7] Kei Nishikori (JPN)
Djokovic, a five-time year-end No. 1, leads Group Guga Kuerten alongside Alexander Zverev (1-1 FedEx ATP Head2Head record), Marin Cilic (Djokovic leads 16-2) and John Isner (Djokovic leads 8-2). Djokovic, who has a 49-11 match record in 2018, including a 31-2 mark since the start of Wimbledon, has qualified for the season finale for the 11th time (2007-16), highlighted by five title runs in 2008 (d. Davydenko), 2012 (d. Federer), 2013 (d. Nadal) and 2014-15 (d. Federer both times).
Federer, a six-time former champion at the prestigious event, has compiled a 46-8 match record in 2018, including four titles. The Swiss has been drawn in the Group Lleyton Hewitt with Kevin Anderson (4-1 FedEx ATP Head2Head record), Dominic Thiem (Thiem leads 2-1) and Kei Nishikori (Federer leads 7-2).
Eight different countries are represented in the elite eight-man singles field for the third consecutive year, with Group Lleyton Hewitt matches beginning on Sunday, 11 November. Group Guga Kuerten matches are scheduled to begin on Monday, 12 November. Gustavo Kuerten won the 2000 season finale, when the event was held in Lisbon, while Lleyton Hewitt won two titles in 2001 (in Sydney) and 2002 (in Shanghai).
Karen Khachanov, who beat Djokovic for his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title on Sunday at the Rolex Paris Masters, and Borna Coric are first and second alternates respectively in the singles field.
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Doubles – Group Knowles/Nestor
[1] Oliver Marach (AUT) / Mate Pavic (CRO)
[3] Lukasz Kubot (POL) / Marcelo Melo (BRA)
[5] Mike Bryan (USA) / Jack Sock (USA)
[8] Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) / Nicolas Mahut (FRA)
Doubles – Group Llodra/Santoro
[2] Juan Sebastian Cabal (COL) / Robert Farah (COL)
[4] Jamie Murray (GBR) / Bruno Soares (BRA)
[6] Raven Klaasen (RSA) / Michael Venus (NZL)
[7] Nikola Mektic (CRO) / Alexander Peya (AUT)
Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic, who have clinched the year-end No. 1 ATP Doubles Team Ranking and have a 4-5 record in tour-level finals in 2018, lead Group Knowles/Nestor, which begins play on 12 November. Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, the second seeds, headline Group Llodra/Santoro that starts on 11 November. Henri Kontinen and John Peers, winners of the Nitto ATP Finals title for the past two years, will serve as doubles alternates at the season finale.
Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor won the 2007 year-end doubles title, while Frenchmen Michael Llodra and Fabrice Santoro picked up the 2005 trophy.
Source: ATP World Tour
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