With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal dominating the ATP circuit, and most of the top-contenders ending their seasons early, 2018 is primed to produce some electric battles between rivals, both new and storied. Baseline will countdown the most anticipated rivalries of the new year.
See No. 4 here.
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Head-to-Head record: Thiem leads 4-1
While this is a relatively new rivalry, what makes it interesting are the player's separate achievements, and how those play into Dominic Thiem's and Alexander Zverev's dynamic in 2018.
Despite Thiem being four years older than the 20-year-old Zverev, and leading the head-to-head record, it's the youngster who has managed to have a more successful career thus far, winning two ATP Masters titles and sitting one spot ahead of Thiem at No. 4.
None of their five encounters have been finished in straight sets. The last time they faced off was in Rotterdam with Thiem winning, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.