Federer secures Laver Cup title for Europeans
World No 2 Roger Federer handed Team Europe the maiden Laver Cup crown after beating Team World’s Nick Kyrgios in a super tie-break thriller in Prague on Sunday.
Federer, this year’s Australian Open and Wimbledon champion, won 4-6, 7-6 (6), 11-9 to give Team Europe an unbeatable 15-9 lead.
But the 36-year-old Swiss legend struggled against the 22-year-old, 20th-ranked Australian and his flawless serve, losing the first set on a single break.
When he finally broke Kyrgios halfway through set two, he yelled “Come on!” in relief, only to lose his serve again in the next game.
But Federer capitalized on the system of the tournament he had founded – forcing Kyrgios into longer exchanges, he edged him in the second-set tie-break, then came back from 8-5 down in the decisive super tie-break.
Team Europe, the odds-on favorite with five of the world’s top seven players, entered Sunday with a 9-3 lead which narrowed as Jack Sock and John Isner beat Tomas Berdych and Marin Cilic in the opening doubles rubber.
On Sunday, the winner of each rubber earned three points, against one on Friday and two on Saturday.
Alexander Zverev then took Europe within sight of the trophy by beating Sam Querrey in straight sets, but world No. 1 Rafael Nadal missed his chance as he lost to big-serving John Isner in straight sets.
Skippered by Bjorn Borg, Team Europe also comprised Dominic Thiem, while Frances Tiafoe and Denis Shapovalov played for John McEnroe’s Team World earlier in the tournament.
The organizers said on Sunday that Chicago would host the next edition of the Laver Cup – named after Australian tennis hero Rod Laver - next September.