The Laver Cup kicked off with an exciting start as Team Europe and Team World found themselves tied at 2-2 after the first day of competition on Friday in Berlin.
The American duo of Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton secured a crucial victory in doubles, narrowly defeating the pair of Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev. Alcaraz and Zverev, who had previously faced off in the French Open final, missed a key opportunity to take the lead in the second set, ultimately falling to Fritz and Shelton 7-6 (5), 6-4.
Team World claimed the opening match as Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina outplayed Casper Ruud of Norway, winning 6-4, 6-4. Ruud, ranked No. 9, struggled with unforced errors and failed to match Cerundolo's performance.
Stefanos Tsitsipas leveled the score for Team Europe by defeating Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-1, 6-4. Tsitsipas, seeking redemption after his U.S. Open loss to Kokkinakis, displayed dominance on the indoor court.
In a closely contested battle, Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria emerged victorious against Alejandro Tabilo of Chile, prevailing in two tiebreak sets after a grueling two-hour match.
Each match win on Friday is worth one point, with the stakes increasing to two points on Saturday and three points on Sunday. The first team to accumulate 13 points will claim victory in the tournament, which concludes on Sunday.
Additionally, the Laver Cup and the ATP tour announced a five-year extension to their existing agreement, ensuring the continuation of this prestigious event in the tennis calendar.
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