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The Laver Cup: 2018 tournament review
Join Tennishead for an encore on the second Laver Cup in Chicago, USA, 2018.
First day of the Laver Cup 2018: beginners shine for Team Europe
The United States hosted the second “Ryder Cup of tennis”, while “The Windy City” hosted Team Europe and Team World at the United Center from September 21-23, 2018.
The opening match pitted the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, world number 7, against the American Frances Tiafoe, world number 40. Tiafoe had also opened the procedure the previous year, during the first Laver Cup, against the Croatian Marin Cilic.
History repeated itself for Tiafoe as Dimitrov proved too much for the 20-year-old to manage, seeing him 6-1, 6-4 to see Team Europe take the first points of the event.
Then another European debutant clashed with another returning Team World rep, as Kyle Edmund of Great Britain faced Jack Sock of the United States.
The two men had already met twice on the ATP Tour, with honors even in a victory each before this tie. After a tight first set, Edmund was able to claim the only break needed to get him 4-5 on the Sock serve.
ALSO READ: The Laver Cup: 2017 tournament review
The second set followed an equally close pattern before Sock also broke late in the set, at 5-5, before serving 7-5 to force a decisive tie-break.
The young Briton took advantage, with a 9-4 lead for match point, taking the win on third request. 2-0 to the European team.
The last singles match of the first day was a confrontation between the Belgian David Goffin and the Argentinian Diego Schwartzman, respectively 11 and 14 in the world. The Belgian was leading his face-to-face 3-1 ahead of the game, but Schwartzman was ready for a fight.
Despite the Argentine’s early landing, Goffin responded 4-3 to claim a double break, gain momentum and take the first set 6-4. In the second, Schwartzman didn’t flinch, pushing towards a double cushion before giving up one but hanging on to take it 6-4. Another decisive tie-break.
The breaker that followed saw 11 mini-breaks out of 20 points played, with both players having match points. Schwartzman got the top two at 9-7 and 9-8, but couldn’t convert, before Goffin reversed the trend and won 11-9. 3-0 Team Europe.
The doubles hour and Laver Cup 2018 opener featured 14-time slam champion Novak Djokovic and 20-time slam champion Roger Federer against recent 2018 Wimbledon finalist Kevin Anderson alongside world number 17 Jack Sock.
Neither team moved on serve in the first set, with no chance of a breaking point as a tiebreaker was needed to separate them. At 5-6 on the Team World serve, Federer and Djokovic took the set at the first opportunity.
The second set was also close, with just one break of service proving the difference as Anderson and Sock led 3-1 and held that lead to take the set 6-3, resulting in a decisive tie-break.
On the way to the first match point, there was only one mini-break. As Team Europe faltered, they served to stay in the game at 6-9, with Team World accepting the invitation and securing the victory. They were on the scoreboard, 3-1 Europe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcIXW79RLCM
Laver Cup Day 2018 Two: honors even in the middle of the day
At the start of Matchday 2, Alexander Zverev faced John Isner, Zverev having won four of the previous five meetings between the two.
But there was a twist in the script from the start, as Isner won the opening set 6-3 to gain the upper hand after the German was broken in his first serve game.
The two men’s serve was not threatened in the second set, resulting in an unavoidable tiebreaker for Zverev. Isner pushed his opponent to the brink, setting match point 5-6 on Zverev’s serve, but the 21-year-old hardened his nerves to hit a sublime backhand winner to stay in the game.
ALSO READ: The Laver Cup: 2019 tournament review
After the change of ends, a direct volley from Isner fell into the net to give Zverev a set point opportunity. Another brilliant setback won the tiebreaker for Zverev, bringing the game to a decisive breaker.
From there, Isner couldn’t hold back the German, as he won the tie-break and the game 10-7. The European team now led 5-1.
In a repeat of last year’s event final, Roger Federer faced Nick Kyrgios. What turned out to be a huge battle in 2017 was much less of a contest this time around.
Kyrgios never threatened Federer’s serve as the Swiss never faced a breaking point, while the 20-time Slam champion won one and two breaks in the first and second sets respectively to secure a 6-3, 6-2 victory and give Team Europe the lead. at 7-1 in the tournament.
The next tie saw a rematch of the 2018 Wimbledon final, as Novak Djokovic battled with Kevin Anderson. After reaching 6-6 without a single break, Anderson edged out the world number three for a set-up.
At 5-5 into the second, Djokovic managed to pause before leveling the tie at one set apiece. In the tie-break of the match, a mini-break advantage gave Anderson an 8-5 lead. A rocket return from the South African set up match points. After Djokovic withheld one, a forehand into the net at 9-6 gave Anderson the victory, with the world number nine avenging his loss at the All England Club and closing the tournament’s score gap to 7-3 for Team Europe.
Grigor Dimitrov and David Goffin teamed up for the final doubles match of the day, while Nick Kyrgios and Jack Sock rekindled their partnership in 2017.
This experience made all the difference for the Team World duo, as they ran away in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, to end the day with a tight score of 7-5 in favor of Team Europe. .
Laver Cup Day 2018 Three: Reliable returns seal the deal
In the final doubles showdown of the 2018 Laver Cup, Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev faced all-American pair John Isner and Jack Sock in what would prove to be a scintillating contest.
After a break from Sock’s service, the European pair won the opening set 6-4. A second set without a break resulted in a tie-break that the Americans had to win to stay in the game. They remained stable, closing the 7-2 breaker.
A tight decider brought two match points for Federer and Zverev. The first was saved when Isner hit an exceptional forehand past Zverev at net, before a quick one-two on Isner’s serve tied him at 9-9.
The imposing American hit wide after the change of ends, establishing his own match point. A crossover exchange between Zverev and Sock resulted in a tense exchange, with Zverev backhand sailing long, seeing Team World win, Sock and Isner falling onto the pitch in disbelief.
Team World now held a Laver Cup lead for the first time in its history, with an 8-7 lead after a 7-1 loss. Could they hold on to snatch the title from the defending champions?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGxOkbLaYao
Federer and Isner met immediately afterwards in singles with the Swiss having a score to settle. Federer had only lost to Isner twice before in their previous eight encounters, but both of those losses came on indoor courts.
This is how the American took the lead, winning in a 7-5 tie-break. Another close set saw both men at a second tie-break. At 3-3, Federer hit a practice volley from deep in the field that touched the cord of the net, removing the ball. Mini-break for Isner. An unforced error in the American’s net put him back on serve, but a errant forehand from Federer at the next point gave Isner two match points.
Federer saved the first one with a brilliant off wide ace, one more chance for Isner. A return from Federer to the rod has just passed over the net, before the 37-year-old can face an imposing Isner at the net to secure the point, 6-6.
Isner lost his serve again on a tricky half volley into the net, giving Federer a chance to score. Another ace tied the tie for the grand champion, bringing the game to a decisive breaker.
With a score of 6-8 on Isner’s serve, the American hit a backhand into the net to prepare match points for Federer. Isner saved the first with a brilliant approach and a volley that caught the sideline. But Federer was not denied, securing the victory with a precise forehand, putting Team Europe in the lead, 10-8.
Zverev was next against Kevin Anderson, and as with Federer, it started off tough for the German, losing a set to the South African, 7-3 in a tie-break. After tying the game with a 7-5 second set, it ended in another tiebreaker. If Zverev won, Team Europe would retain the Laver Cup.
Nine mini-breaks between the two followed, culminating with Zverev at 9-7 on two Laver Cup points. The backhand return sailed long from Anderson. It was done, Team Europe had won it again, 13-8.
Featured Image: Ben Solomon Cup / Laver
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