Laver Cup: Team World Win Four Matches Against Team Europe – Details
- Team World dominate day one against Team Europe.
Defending champions Team World won all four matches against Team Europe to dominate day one of the Laver Cup.
Ben Shelton, Francisco Cerundolo and Felix Auger-Aliassime all triumphed in their singles matches in Vancouver.
Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul then completed a clean sweep in the doubles for Team World.
The three-day team tournament is viewed as tennis’s answer to golf’s Ryder Cup but is missing the likes of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
The first team to reach 13 points will lift the trophy. Matches on day one were each worth one point (meaning Team World are 4-0 up), with two points on offer for each victory on Saturday and three points for each win on the final day.
US Open semi-finalist Shelton of the United States came back from 1-4 down in the first set tie-break to come through 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 against Arthur Fils of France.
“It’s different pressure, for sure,” said Shelton. “I love the type of pressure of playing for a team.
“In the back of your head, it’s always you don’t want to let them down, but also, the win is so much greater when you get to do it for them and Team World, not just for yourself.”
Argentina’s Cerundolo marked his Laver Cup debut with a 6-3 7-5 victory over Spanish player Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Home favourite Felix Auger-Aliassime made it a hat-trick of singles wins for Team World with a 6-4 6-3 victory over French veteran Gael Monfils.
Tiafoe and Paul then combined to defeat Fils and Andrey Rublev 6-3 4-6 10-6.
