As Team World turned things around on day two of the Laver Cup, American Taylor Fritz stunned world number one Carlos Alcaraz to resurrect the deficit.
After winning all four matches in San Francisco on Saturday, Team Europe had a 3-1 lead heading into Sunday’s final day. However, Team World prevailed in San Francisco on Saturday.
In the final singles match of the day, Fritz, who had not defeated Spaniard Alcaraz in three previous meetings, cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 victory.
The five-time world champion described it as one of his best so far in life.
He said, “I think I take almost more pride in this one because I think I earned it from the beginning.”
Alcaraz had won 13 matches so far this month, and he was playing in his first singles match since winning the US Open, his sixth Grand Slam of his career.
With 16 of his 20 net points coming from the baseline, Fritz overpowered Alcaraz, hitting 17 winners and five aces and also having good hands while also playing well.
After Australian team-mate Alex de Minaur shocked German world number three Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-4, to claim the first points of the day, Team World had won.
Then, 6-3, 7-6, 7-5 victory over Danish World No. 11 Holger Rune, the Argentine world number 21.
De Minaur, the world’s eighth-ranked player, defeated Rune and Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-4 in the doubles match, completing Team World’s clean sweep of day two victories.
On the first day of the Laver Cup, matches won by one point each were awarded, with the other two points for victories on day two.
Team World needs two more victories to earn the title, but champion Team Europe could reclaim it with each win worth three points on Sunday.
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Source: BBC
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