7 memorable Laver Cup matches – from Roger Federer’s emotional retirement to epic Frances Tiafoe comeback
The 2024 Laver Cup in Berlin is well underway and celebrates its seventh year.
Here are seven magnificent matches in the Roger Federer-inspired competition.
1) Roger Federer v Nick Kyrgios, 2017
The inaugural edition of the Laver Cup had a spectacular conclusion, as a 22-year-old Nick Kyrgios needed to claim victory against Federer to force an “extra time” doubles decider after John McEnroe’s Team World fought back from 9-3 down.
Federer claimed a dramatic victory 4-6 7-6(6) 11-9 but not before the Australian earned a match point as he stormed 8-5 ahead in the deciding breaker. Federer saved it at 8-9 and then served it out to claim his third victory of the weekend as Europe edged it.
2) Roger Federer v John Isner, 2018
Chicago knows how to put on a good show and that was certainly the case when Federer played John Isner in a classic match.
The Swiss legend saved three match points as the contest went to three straight tiebreaks. Federer had lost an incredibly tight doubles clash to Isner and Jack Sock when he partnered with Alexander Zverev, so the pressure was on as Team Europe trailed 8-7 having been 7-1 ahead.
Federer didn’t panic despite losing the first shootout after the American launched a rasping forehand. In the second set, Isner had two match points at 6-4 but the Swiss powered an ace and then a backhand followed by another perfect serve to level.
Federer claimed the last match tiebreaker 10-7 and Zverev clinched Team Europe’s victory when he defeated Kevin Anderson
3) Andy Murray v Alex de Minaur, 2022
The 2022 Laver Cup was always going to be a special occasion whatever the scoreline as the world of tennis prepared for Federer’s swansong, and one of the better matches was between home favourite Andy Murray and Team World’s Alex de Minaur.
As befits the equivalent of the game’s best Golden Retrievers, the first set lasted 76 minutes which the Scot took. Both men were making their debuts in the competition and were visibly pumped.
The Australian took the second and then controlled a deciding breaker which he won 10-7. De Minaur beat his chest three times on the winning point as World put their first point on the board on the way to a historic title.
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4) Alexander Zverev v Milos Raonic, 2019
No one has a better win percentage in Laver Cup history than Alexander Zverev, and the German was the hero of the hour at the 2019 event in Geneva when the competition came down to a last-match showdown against Canadian big hitter Milos Raonic.
Zverev unleashed his ferocious forehand to take the first set 6-4 but ceded the second 3-6. It came down to a Laver breaker and Zverev showed his cojones to take it 10-4 as Team Europe claimed their third victory in a row.
Now he has to take Federer’s advice about stepping it up when a major is on the line….
5) Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal v Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock, 2022
The 2022 edition was all about Federer and who better to play alongside in the last match of his career than long-time rival Rafael Nadal.
The two teamed up for one last hurrah against Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock. After the first two sets were shared, the match tiebreaker could not have been closer.
Federer aced in front of an ecstatic crowd to go 6-5 up. The “let’s go Roger” roars went up again when Nadal and his partner were on match point with the Swiss almost serving an ace to close it out.
When Sock rasped a forehand down the line to win it 11-9, Federer insisted “it’s all good.” Rafa and Roger then sat down as the clock rolled past midnight in London and let it all out with tears.
6) Frances Tiafoe v Stefanos Tsitsipas, 2022
Team World finally chalked up their first-ever Cup win in 2022 and it was a heck of a comeback.
Trailing 8-4 at the start of the final day, it looked like Team Europe was on course for a fifth title until Felix Auger Aliassime teamed up with Jack Sock to pip Andy Murray and Matteo Berrettini 10-8. Auger-Aliassime then defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets.
Stefanos Tsitsipas stormed back for Borg’s team, winning the first set against Frances Tiafoe.
However, the American then hung extra tough to take a second set tiebreak 13-11, somehow surviving four match points and then clinching the match tiebreaker.
Tiafoe dropped his racket at the end of the match and fell on his back as teammates piled on in true penalty shootout style. Captain McEnroe quipped “It beats losing.”
7) Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer v Kevin Anderson and Jack Sock, 2018
Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic must have been pretty sick of the sight of Kevin Anderson in 2018.
The big South African had already beaten the Swiss in five sets at Wimbledon just before losing to Djokovic in the final. Anderson teamed up with world doubles No 2 Sock to beat Djokovic and Federer 6-7 6-3 10-6 to get Team World their first point in Chicago.
It was the only time the big beasts ever played doubles together. Anderson followed up by beating the world No 1 again in singles the following day – although it wasn’t enough to stop Bjorn Borg’s men.
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