The first day of the Laver Cup in Berlin witnessed a dramatic shift in momentum, as Team World battled back to level the score against Team Europe after a thrilling doubles encounter.
The American duo of Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton, playing with fiery intensity, overcame the star-studded pairing of Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz and world number two Alexander Zverev. The pair, who were making their Laver Cup debuts, struggled to keep pace with the American duo’s aggressive play, as Fritz and Shelton fired 20 winners to secure the 7-6(5) 6-4 victory.
“We both served really well under pressure,” Fritz shared during an on-court interview. “Ben served incredibly well, so I didn’t have to hit any volleys. That was huge.”
Earlier in the evening session, Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Alejandro Tabilo of Chile 7-6(4) 7-6(2), battling back from 5-1 down in the second set. “Great fight,” Dimitrov said. “When I was down in the second set I just tried to be very patient and look after every point, point by point I started building a little bit more, and yeah, had good momentum coming into the tiebreak.”
However, Dimitrov’s victory came at a cost, as he appeared to be struggling with an injury throughout the match. “The body’s been struggling, I’m not going to lie,” he said. “I feel like I’m playing great tennis but my body is not allowing me to push through a little bit more.”
The first point of the day went to Team World, courtesy of Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo. Cerundolo, playing on the distinctive black hard court, overcame a strong start by world number nine Casper Ruud, ultimately securing a 6-4 6-4 win.
Team Europe then leveled the score with a dominant performance from Stefanos Tsitsipas, who easily dispatched Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-1 6-4.
The Laver Cup, a three-day team competition, features players from Europe and the rest of the world. The event is known for its unique format, where points awarded for wins increase with each day of competition. With the first day concluded, Team World will be looking to build momentum on Saturday as they aim for a decisive victory in this intense team competition.
