Team World Defends Laver Cup Title with Dominant Victory
Team World successfully defended its Laver Cup championship for the first time.
Americans Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe defeated Hubert Hurkacz and Andrey Rublev 7-6 (7), 7-6 (7) to give Team World the 13-point victory over Team Europe.
“It felt unbelievable,” Team World captain John McEnroe stated, adding that Team Europe had previously defeated Team World.
Last year’s Team World member, Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, said the repeat triumph was even more special because it took place on Canadian soil.
“To win is the best feeling and it’s nice to come back after London and to do it in Vancouver,” he stated.
Auger-Aliassime expressed excitement at the prospect of playing as part of a team.
“Every time I play for a team, I feel really good,” he stated. “I guess playing singles all the time on tour can get lonely.” It’s incredibly special for me to have teammates and win as a team.”
The triumph of Team World in 2022 represented Swiss star Roger Federer’s final professional appearance before retirement.
Milos Raonic, a Canadian, was there as an alternative for Team World in case of injury and played in a doubles match after the cup presentation.
He competed alongside Chris Eubanks against Arthur Fils and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
“Milos is a guy who changed the way Canadians looked at our game of tennis,” McEnroe remarked of Raonic.
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Team World seized a 10-2 lead in the tournament on Saturday, putting itself in control.
Sunday’s first doubles match featured several long rallies, with Shelton hitting a behind-the-back shot in the second game.
Both sets went to tiebreakers, with Team Europe hoping to win their second match of the three-day competition.
However, Hurkacz missed a drop shot, allowing Team World to claim the victory.
The game was a close one, with Team World edging out their European opponents 80-76 in points.
“We gave it our all. “Every single match, Team World played unbelievable tennis,” remarked Team Europe captain Bjorn Borg. “Of course, we’re dissatisfied. We weren’t expecting to lose by so much, but what can you do? They played excellent tennis.”
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