Defending champion Alexander Zverev beat Rafael Nadal in straight sets at the ATP Finals on Monday while Daniil Medvedev lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the round-robin match in Group Andre Agassi.

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The Spanish top seed - who never won the event - came after an injury and was well short of his imperious best as he went down 6-2, 6-4. 

Nadal and Novak Djokovic are locked in a battle to finish the year-end as number one.

Zverev hit a total of 26 winners -- double his opponent’s tally -- and Nadal managed just three forehand winners in the entire match.

In the earlier match, sixth seed Tsitsipas beat Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (7/5), 6-4. The two players have had a rocky relationship. Tensions between the two flared in Miami last year.

“I mean, our chemistry definitely isn’t the best that you can find on the Tour,” said Tsitsipas, who added that Monday’s match had been tougher because he was so desperate to win.

“It just happens with people, you can’t just like everyone. It’s not that I hate him. I guess -- yeah, as he said, we will not go to dinner together, so... I respect him, for sure.”

Four of the eight competitors at the ATP Finals are under 24 for the first time in 10 years.

Djokovic launched his bid for a sixth ATP Finals title after he had a comfortable win against Matteo Berrettini on Sunday. Roger Federer however, slipped to a straight-sets defeat against Dominic Thiem.