By Field Level Media
Sep 27 (Field Level Media) – World No. 2 Alexander Zverev of Germany finished off Learner Tien 7-6 (3), 6-3, and Team Europe clinched a dominant 13-5 win over Team World at the Laver Cup on Sunday in London.
Europe led the competition 7-5 after two days, and each match was worth three points on the third and final day, with the first team to 13 points declared the winners. The final day started with doubles, in which Italy’s Flavio Cobolli and the Czech Republic’s Jakub Mensik prevailed 7-5, 6-3 over a pair of top-10 players in the world, Aussie Alex de Minaur and American Taylor Fritz.
With just one more match win required for Europe to prevail, Zverev did his part by striking 32 winners to Tien’s 21 and saving all four break points he faced. The other two matches of the day — which would have featured Spaniards Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Jodar against de Minaur and Fritz, respectively — were not needed.
Team World had won three of the past four Laver Cups before Europe’s strong showing in London. The 2027 Laver Cup will be played in Los Angeles.
Hangzhou Open
Top-two seeds Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev both outlasted their opponents in three sets to advance to the semifinals in China.
Medvedev, the top seed, took down Coleman Wong of Hong Kong 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-3 in a two-hour, 18-minute match. Medvedev saved five of six break points and converted 50 of his 63 first-serve points (79.4%).
Rublev had a little more trouble against France’s Hugo Gaston but prevailed 6-7 (6), 7-6 (4), 6-1 after two hours and 52 minutes. Rublev had 15 break- point opportunities and converted five of them while saving just two of five break points. He jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the deciding set.
Rublev will face Kyrian Jacquet of France, who took down sixth-seeded Hungarian Fabian Marozsan 7-6 (12), 6-4. Medvedev will take on Roman Safiullin, who took care of China’s Yunchaokete Bu 6-3, 6-3.
Chengdu Open
Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina cruised past qualifier Alexandre Muller of France 6-1, 7-5 to reach the semifinals in China.
Davidovich Fokina had a dominant serve and didn’t face a break point while converting 13 of 16 second-serve points (81.3%). He converted three of seven break points in the one-hour, 20-minute match. Davidovich Fokina will next face Georgian qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili, who defeated Jenson Brooksby 6-4, 7-6 (4).
No. 5 seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland took down qualifier Lloyd Harris 7-6 (10), 6-4. Hurkacz allowed eight break-point opportunities but was broken just once. No. 7 seed Denis Shapovalov of Canada will take on Hurkacz in the semifinals after defeating France’s Adrian Mannarino 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-2.
(–Field Level Media)
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