The story on day one at the Laver Cup was Roger Federer’s final match and that certainly delivered. But there was plenty of entertaining besides and the tie is finely balanced after both sides won two matches on the opening day. Day two may well prove crucial as a result as Team World seek their first Laver Cup. As always, we here at LWOT are offering our predictions for every match, including Matteo Berrettini vs Felix Auger-Aliassime, but who will claim the vital points on offer?
Laver Cup Day 2 Predictions
Novak Djokovic vs Frances Tiafoe
Head-to-head: Djokovic 1-0 Tiafoe
Unsurprisingly, Novak Djokovic has the weight of history on his side heading into this match. The Serbian won this pair’s only previous match (albeit after four hard-fought sets) and his career numbers quite simply blow Frances Tiafoe’s out of the water. Djokovic has won 1012 matches at tour-level and 88 titles. Tiafoe has won just 128 matches and one title. The only statistic where there is anything approaching parity is matches lost, with Djokovic having been beaten 204 times and Tiafoe 138.
That does not mean that this will be straightforward for Djokovic. He hasn’t played a match since winning Wimbledon and hasn’t played on a hard court since February. Tiafoe, in contrast, comes into the Laver Cup fresh from reaching the US Open semifinals. He will also likely enjoy the slow conditions at the O2 Arena more than the Serbian. If Djokovic plays his best tennis, he will still win this match. But it is a tall order for even so great a champion to find his best tennis after so long off the court.
Prediction: Tiafoe in 3
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Matteo Berrettini and Novak Djokovic vs Alex de Minaur and Jack Sock
This promises to be an interesting battle. Djokovic and Berrettini have both power and precision in abundance, with the Serbian the best returner of all time and Berrettini currently one of the best servers in the men’s game. But whether that will translate into a successful doubles partnership is unclear, particularly because both men, particularly Djokovic, lack pedigree in this format. The same cannot be said Team World’s pairing.
Alex de Minaur is not a particularly accomplished doubles player, but Jack Sock certainly is. The American has won three Majors and been ranked as high as world #2, with his place in Team World’s Laver Cup squad largely based on his abilities as a doubles player. In truth, this match could go either way and the two pairings are very similar in composition, but Sock’s x-factor as a doubles player may well give Team World the edge here.
Prediction: de Minaur and Sock in 3
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