Team World have taken a giant step in direction of retaining their Laver Cup title as they prolonged their benefit over Team Europe to 10-2, with Americans Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe main the cost.
John McEnroe’s group now require one win from their 4 matches on Sunday to succeed in the 13-point mark and declare their second crown, however with every victory value three factors on the ultimate day Team Europe nonetheless have some hope.
Team World arrived at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena with a 4-0 lead after 4 wins on the primary day of the competitors.
With every victory value two factors on the second day, world No.8 Fritz put Team World in a commanding place after an exhilarating 6-2 7-6 (7-3) win over Russian Andrey Rublev.
“Any type of team environment, I feel it always elevates my game,” mentioned Fritz, who avenged his Monte Carlo semi-final defeat by Rublev earlier this 12 months.
“I feel like my record in team events is strong because I have a team cheering for me. I get pumped up. I’m excited to play for them. It just adds more pressure and fire to it.”
Casper Ruud pulled a win again for Bjorn Borg’s Team Europe with a 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 victory over American Tommy Paul, however Tiafoe defeated Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 7-5 6-3 to present his group an 8-2 lead.
Tiafoe pulled off one of many pictures of the event with a volley behind his again and adopted it up with a winner on the internet within the second set to please the gang.
“I came out here wanting to have fun,” Tiafoe mentioned. “Being in the team environment is so foreign to us. Tennis is such an individual sport.
“I needed to play nicely for the blokes, for the followers.”
Local hero Felix Auger-Aliassime teamed up with American Ben Shelton for a 7-5 6-4 victory over Hurkacz and Gael Monfils to cap off one other good day for the defending champions.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
