Federer leads Europe to first Laver Cup title
PRAGUE — World number two Roger Federer handed Team Europe the maiden Laver Cup title 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 ( 8/ 6), 11/ 9 to give Team Europe an unbeatable 15-9 lead.
But the 36- year- old Swiss legend struggled against the 20thranked, 22-year- old 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.
The start of the clash saw the controversial Kyrgios briefly kneel on the court in a gesture which sparked speculation that he was joining the ongoing protest against US President Donald Trump.
But Kyrgios explained this was his trademark gesture to “remember the two most important people that have passed away” — a reference to his late grandmother and grandfather.
A host of NFL players chose to kneel in games across the US on Sunday during the playing of American national anthem in a demonstration against racial inequality.
‘LUCKY’
Team Europe, the odds-on favorites 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 number one Rafael Nadal missed his chance as he lost to big- serving John Isner in straight sets.
Sock and Isner beat Berdych and Cilic 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (8/6) with Sock’s vicious forehand leading the charge on the American’s 25th birthday.
In the day’s second rubber, a break in each set was all German youngster Zverev, the world number four, needed to beat 16th- ranked American Querrey 6- 4, 6- 4 in their first- ever encounter.
Isner’s greatest moment was yet to come as the world number 17 edged Nadal, this year’s French and US Open champion.