By Field Level Media
Sep 27 (Field Level Media) – Carlos Alcaraz’s resilient win over Taylor Fritz on Saturday helped Team Europe recover from blowing its Day 1 lead to take a 7-5 edge over Team World entering the final day of Laver Cup competition in London.
Team World won the first two matches of the day, with world No. 13 Learner Tien beating No. 7 Flavio Cobolli of Italy 6-3, 2-6, 10-7 (tiebreaker) and No. 9 Aussie Alex de Minaur edging No. 2 German Alexander Zverev 2-6, 7-6 (5), 11-9 to take a 5-3 lead after trailing 3-1 after Friday’s opening day of competition.
But Alcaraz saved two match points to beat Fritz, a year after the American beat him at last year’s Laver Cup. Casper Ruud of Norway and Zverev then knocked off Brandon Nakashima and Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik 6-4, 7-6 (7) in the doubles match to conclude the day’s action with Europe back in front.
Sunday’s final day of action, where each match is worth three points, will begin with Europe’s Cobolli and Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic facing de Minaur and Fritz in doubles action before Zverev faces Tien, Alcaraz takes on de Minaur and Spain’s Rafael Jodar battles Fritz in singles competition.
If the sides are tied after 12 matches, a doubles match would decide the outcome.
Chengdu Open
Lloyd Harris of South Africa upset No. 1 seed Valentin Vacherot of Monaco 6-4, 7-6 (5) to reach the quarterfinals in China on Saturday.
Harris, ranked No. 136 in the world, struck 16 aces and won 89% of the points on his first serve. He didn’t face a break point and converted one of two break opportunities.
No. 2 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain returned to ATP Tour play for the first time since July with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina.
Davidovich Fokina had been sidelined by injuries and missed the American hard court events, culminating with the U.S. Open. His win set up a quarterfinal match against French qualifier Alexandre Muller, who defeated Federico Cina of Italy 7-6 (3), 6-1 in 88 minutes.
No. 5 Hubert Hurkacz of Poland outlasted Martin Damm 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and will oppose Harris in the quarters.
Hangzhou Open
Top seed Daniil Medvedev survived a first-set challenge from Valentin Royer of France to win 7-6 (6), 6-3 and move to the quarterfinal round in China.
Medvedev put on a serving master class in the one hour, 49-minute match. He landed 16 aces, saved all five break points and won 84% of the points on his first serve, compared to 66% for his opponent. Next up for the Russian is a matchup against Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong, who ousted fifth-seeded Paraguayan Adolfo Daniel Vallejo with a 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-3 victory.
In the day’s other matches, a pair of seeded players fell. Russian Roman Safiullin ousted No. 4 seed Quentin Halys of France 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, and Kamil Majchrzak of Poland, the No. 8 seed, was dropped by China’s Yunchaokete Bu in a 7-6 (4), 6-7 (5), 6-2 match.
Safiullin and Bu will square off in a quarterfinal on Sunday.
(–Field Level Media)
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