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the Rest of the world team crowned for the first time

Thanks to three victories in three matches this Sunday, the Rest of the World team won the 5th edition of the Laver Cup (13-8) after four European successes.

Led 8-4 at the start of the third and final day, the Rest of the World, led by Felix Auger-Aliassime and Frances Tiafoe, won their first Laver Cup by dominating Europe 13-8 on Sunday in London. “I didn’t have to motivate them after yesterday (…) We had to win 3 of the last 4 matches, we knew we could do it, we had great confidence“, explained the team captain, John McEnroe, after the match, questioned by the former player Jim Courier.

McEnroe, who had suffered the 4 previous defeats, including a cruel one in 2019 after being in the lead with two singles from the end, even sketched a few dance steps. “Amazing would be an understatement“, he also dropped the microphone. “We’ve been waiting for this for a long time, sometimes we’ve been corrected but on other occasions we’ve been so close we could taste it… They’re an amazing group of young guys, we kept fighting , we were in trouble, but the supporters were absolutely brilliant“, he continued.

Federer, emotion

This 5th edition of the competition was marked, on the first day, by the retirement of Roger Federer, after a last double with his rival and friend Rafael Nadal, narrowly lost against Sock and Tiafoe. The emotion and the tributes to the winner of 20 Grand Slam titles and instigator of this match, had completely eclipsed the sporting stakes of Friday, finished with a score of parity 2-2.

The second day seemed to confirm European domination, Matteo Berrettini and Novak Djokovic each winning their singles, then the double where they were associated against Sock and Alex de Minaur. The Italian, a substitute at the start of the match but who had taken Federer’s place, was still in contention at the opening on Sunday, alongside Andy Murray, for a double. But after a controlled first set (6-2), they ended up giving in to Sock and Auger-Aliassime (2-6, 6-3, 10-8). Untouchable on Saturday, Djokovic and his 35 years then suffered the law of Auger-Aliassime, from the height of his 22 springs, 6-4, 7-6 (3) to place the Rest of the World in the lead (10-8) for the first time in the game. Easy winner of Diego Schwartzman (6-2, 6-1) on the first day, the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas could still prolong the suspense and seemed on track to do so by winning the first set (6-1) with a level very high game.

Remontada signed Tiafoe

But Tiafoe, a recent semi-finalist at the US Open, with a lower first-serving rate, fewer aces, fewer points won on first and second serves, and even without a single break point in the match, managed an incredible turnaround. His power, his running speed and his ball touch, when necessary, literally sickened Tsitsipas during a tie-break of the interminable second set (13-11) and during which he let slip four balls of match. Perhaps damaged in morale, he suffered the game in the super tie-break of the third set to bow on the wire (10-8). The 6th edition of the Laver Cup will take place in Vancouver.

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The emotion of Federer’s last game

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