Federer and Djokovic team up, lose doubles match at Laver Cup

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic looked quite comfortable while playing together for the first time Friday night.

Except for one particular point.

Djokovic drilled Federer in the lower back with a forehand in the third game of their doubles match against Kevin Anderson and Jack Sock in the Laver Cup in Chicago. Djokovic covered his mouth with his left hand and leaned over after the ball went off his partner.

“I apologized right away,” Djokovic said. “It didn't look that great.”

Federer didn't seem to mind that much.

“To team up with somebody of his caliber is just a treat you know,” he said.

Federer and Djokovic took the first set 7-6 in a tiebreaker, but Sock and Anderson won the second set 6-3 and then captured the deciding tiebreaker 10-6 to give Team World its lone win on the first day of the exhibition.

Federer and Djokovic last played against each other in the Cincinnati final on Aug. 19, when Djokovic won 6-4, 6-4 to become the player to claim all nine ATP Masters 1000 events since the series started in 1990. Djokovic leads the all-time series with 24 victories.

But the stars had never played on the same side of the net before Friday night at the United Center.

Federer, playing with a red racket, took the forehand side and Djokovic the backhand against the hardserving Anderson and doubles standout Sock.

“It was a lot of fun. I want to thank Roger for playing with me,” Djokovic said. “I loved it. Obviously I wanted to win as much as Roger. But those guys came up with some big shots.”

ISNER A NEW POP

John Isner, the tall American with the blistering serve, has added a new role in the last week. He's a dad.

His wife gave birth a week ago to their first child, a daughter, an experience Isner described as “the best moment of my life for sure.”

Being separated this week while he competes in the Laver Cup has been difficult.

Isner said he received a picture on his phone of his daughter watching him play for the first time.

“I don't think she will remember it,” he joked. “My wife is changing her diaper and I'm on the TV.”

He's going to skip upcoming tournaments in Asia to be a family man.

“It's been super tough being away right now,” he said. “I certainly miss my daughter incredibly much right now.”

He's also hoping that his family will be able to travel with him next year.

“We'll see how that goes,” he said. “It's going to be an adjustment.”

OSAKA ADVANCES

Naomi Osaka eased into the final of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo with a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 semifinal win over Camila Giorgi.

The U.S. Open champion, who upset Serena Williams in the final in New York this month, overpowered her unseeded opponent with a dominant serve and will face fourth-seeded Karolina Pliskova in Sunday's final.

Osaka hammered nine aces over the course of the victory, and dropped just eight points in eight service games over the course of the match.

“My serve got me out of a lot of trouble today,” said Osaka. “She was playing really well and my serve helped me. I was a bit nervous because I really wanted to reach the final.”

Two years ago, Osaka lost in the final to Caroline Wozniacki, this year's topseeded player who was eliminated by Giorgi on Thursday.

Having not dropped a set over the course of her week, Osaka will next face a player who's needed three dramatic sets in each of her matches to reach her second final of the season.

Pliskova had to dig deep again to beat Donna Vekic 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in Saturday's other semifinal.