San Francisco
Team World surged ahead at the Laver Cup after a stunning day that saw American Taylor Fritz beat world number one Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 6-2 on late Saturday night. It was Fritz’s first win over the Spaniard after three previous defeats, including at Wimbledon earlier this year.
With the victory, along with wins from Australia’s Alex De Minaur and Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo, Team World completed a clean sweep of Saturday’s matches. De Minaur later partnered with Alex Michelsen in doubles to defeat Holger Rune and Casper Ruud, giving Team World a commanding 9-3 lead over Team Europe. The first team to 13 points in the next match will lift the trophy, with each win then worth three points.
Fritz, ranked fifth, played aggressively to break Alcaraz three times while saving both break points against him. “I didn’t second guess myself, didn’t play too safe. I played with no fear,” Fritz said. Alcaraz admitted he was below his best but credited Fritz for his sharp performance.
Team Europe, captained by Björn Borg, had led 3-1 after the opening day. However, De Minaur leveled matters with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Germany’s Alexander Zverev, before Cerundolo edged Rune 6-3, 7-6. De Minaur impressed further in doubles despite suffering a cut to his ear from a mishit ball. He joked afterward, “Eyes are on the ball, I’m not afraid of balls.”
Team World’s captain Andre Agassi praised his players but urged focus, saying, “We’ve still got to get across the finish line.” With Stephen Curry and Roger Federer present for the coin toss, the atmosphere at Chase Center matched the drama on court.
