Team Europe Edges Out Team World to Win Laver Cup

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz secured a straight-set victory against American Taylor Fritz, leading Team Europe to a 13-11 triumph at the Laver Cup in Berlin. Faced with a challenging situation, Team World had a strong 11-7 lead in the first-to-13 competition before momentum shifted, BBC Sport reported.

On day three, with three points per win available, Germany’s Alexander Zverev played a crucial role by winning 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 10-5 against American Frances Tiafoe, which narrowed World’s lead to just one point, forcing a decisive matchup. Alcaraz, having previously criticized the congested tennis schedule, delivered a thrilling comeback with a 6-2, 7-5 win, securing Europe's overall victory.

Alcaraz shared his excitement post-match: "We came here with one goal: to win the Laver Cup. I’m really happy we reached our goal, especially given the tough competition." He emphasized the impressive performance of his teammate Zverev, stating, "Sascha came in with some really good tennis at a critical moment."

Team World's opening day started strong as Argentina's Francisco Ceralundo defeated Norway’s Casper Ruud. However, Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas quickly responded by overcoming Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis. Europe grabbed an early lead when Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov defeated Chile's Alejandro Tabilo. The day concluded with the doubles, where Americans Fritz and Ben Shelton leveled the score by defeating Alcaraz and Zverev, leaving the teams tied at 2-2.

Day two saw Team World extend their lead by winning six out of eight points, placing them 8-4. Alcaraz was Europe’s sole winner on Saturday as World’s Tiafoe and Fritz emerged victorious in singles, and Shelton paired with Tabilo in doubles.

Sunday began promisingly for Europe, who previously lost 13-2 in 2023. Ruud and Alcaraz added three points in doubles. Although Shelton then defeated Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in match 10, putting World close to victory with a 13-point target, Zverev's timely win intervened.

Ultimately, Alcaraz made his Laver Cup debut memorable by maintaining focus and guiding Europe past US Open runner-up Fritz, ensuring Europe's dominance in five out of the seven Laver Cup editions held since the event’s 2017 inception.

Earlier, SSP reported that the England striker Ivan Toney shines for Al-Ahli with a stellar performance.