ATP Finals: Stefanos Tsitsipas defies history to capture end-of-year title (VIDEO)

Stefanos Tsitsipas tore up the history book to capture the ATP Final in London after a superb come-from-behind performance against Dominic Thiem at The O2 Arena.

The player who takes the first set has won the ATP Finals tournament every year since 2006, but Greek star Tsitsipas put a stop to that stat as he came from one set down to defeat Thiem and win the prestigious end-of-year tournament.

The tournament features the world's top eight players and, after a series of shock results saw the "Big Three" of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer exit the tournament.

And in the final between two of the unfancied stars of the lineup, it was Tsitsipas – who stunned Federer in the semis – whose form held at the crucial moments as he came from a set down to claim the title and in the process become the first Greek player to win the tournament.

Austria's Thiem grabbed the early advantage after a slugfest of an opening set that saw the players go virtually shot-for-shot.

Both players delivered entertaining, aggressive tennis through the first set as the action went all the way to a first-set tiebreak.

Thiem saved a Tsitsipas set point before turning the tables on the Greek star by taking advantage of a short second serve to convert a set point of his own and claim the first set 7-6.

© AFP / Glyn Kirk

Tsitsipas came storming back in the second set and broke Thiem in the first game. Then he doubled up to put himself in a strong position to close out the set which he duly did, as he ran out the second set winner, 6-2.

And, after the deciding set went all the way to another nail-biting tiebreak, it looked like Tsitsipas had a clear run to victory after surging into a 4-1 lead. But Thiem battled back to 4-4 only to hit a routine forehand long and hand the Greek a chance to serve out the match.

Tsitsipas kept his nerve and finished the job to win the tiebreak 7-4 and claim the come-from-behind victory 6-7, 6-2, 7-6.