Aiming to repeat as Champions and extend their overall h2h record in the Laver Cup to a 6-2 edge over Team World, Team Europe got off to a flying start in San Francisco on Friday.
Alcaraz Leads Team Europe to 3-1 Lead
Captain Yannick Noah’s side built a 3-1 lead as Casper Ruud found form on hard courts and beat big serving American Reilly Opelka, Jakub Mensik then edged Alex Michelsen in a third set super tiebreak, after he had lost a second set tiebreak to the American 6-1 6-7(3) 10-8.
Joao Fonseca scored the only win for Team World on the night, as the Brazilian young gun swept Flavio Cobolli in straight sets. World #1 Carlos Alcaraz teamed up with Mensik for the doubles match, a match they won in straight sets over Taylor Fritz and Michelsen.
Fritz Aims to Carry Team World on Saturday
Already trailing against a talented, and favored team Europe, Taylor Fritz will need to put Team World on his back for day 2 action. Fritz and Australia’s Alex de Minaur are expected to play singles, along with Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo. Team Europe will counter with Holger Rune, Alexander Zverev. and Alcaraz. The World team has shown fighting spirit already this tournament, but they look to be at a performance disadvantage thus far. The day 2 matchups are Alexander Zverev vs de Minaur, Holger Rune vs Cerundolo, Alcaraz vs Fritz, and Rune/Ruud against de Minaur/Michelsen.
Laver Cup Sells out the NBA’s Chase Center
In addition to the action on the tennis court, the commercial side of the Laver Cup is also doing well. The organizers told media that they sold out “all sessions of the 16,500 capacity Chase Center”, the home of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. while lower-level ATP Challenger and ATP 250 events sometimes struggle to achieve significant attendance, the Laver Cup and the continued success of tournaments like the US Open and ATP/WTA Indian Wells shows that demand for elite men’s tennis remains high. The Laver Cup has continued to have success, even after the game’s legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal retired from the sport. Fans have arrived at the Chase Center not just to see American tennis stars like Fritz, but also the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz, who the local San Francisco Chronicle called the “new face of tennis“.
Main Photo Credit: Imago Images xDavidxGonzalesx
