BERLIN — American tennis players Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton triumphed over Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev in a doubles match, evening the score in the Laver Cup after the opening day of competition on Friday.
Alcaraz and Zverev, who recently faced off in the French Open final, had a chance to take the lead in the second set but missed a crucial point for 5-4, allowing Fritz and Shelton to seal their victory with a score of 7-6 (5), 6-4.
The result left Team Europe and Team World tied at 2-2, with two days of competition still ahead. This event follows a format similar to the Ryder Cup in golf.
Team World initiated the day with a victory as Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina defeated Norway’s Casper Ruud with a score of 6-4, 6-4. The ninth-ranked Ruud struggled, committing 20 unforced errors compared to just 11 winners, while Cerundolo improved his head-to-head record against Ruud to 4-3.
Stefanos Tsitsipas evened the score for Team Europe by defeating Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-1, 6-4. Kokkinakis had previously eliminated Tsitsipas at the U.S. Open, but the Greek star excelled in the indoor setting.
Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov then secured a win for Team Europe by overcoming Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2) after a match lasting over two hours.
Match victories are valued at one point on Friday, two points on Saturday, and three points on Sunday, with the first team to reach 13 points declared the winner. The tournament will conclude on Sunday.
Additionally, on Friday, the Laver Cup and the ATP tour announced a five-year extension to their existing agreement.