Laver Cup: No fairytale ending for tearful Federer

Federer
teamed
with
long-time
rival
Rafael
Nadal
against
American
duo
Frances
Tiafoe
and
Jack
Sock
as
Team
Europe
face
Team
World.

After
winning
the
first
set,
the
Swiss
and
the
Spaniard
were
faced
with
a
spirited
fightback
from
Tiafoe
and
Sock,
who
won
a
second-set
tie-break
before
also
clinching
the
match
tie-break
to
seal
victory
6-4,
7-6
(7-2),
11-9.

Roger
Federer
got
his
timing
right:
Gaurav
Natekar

There
had
been
a
great
atmosphere
in
London
on
Friday
for
the
fifth
edition
of
the
three-day
competition

There
was
drama
before
the
match
when
a
protester,
wearing
a
T-shirt
with
the
message,
“END
UK
PRIVATE
JETS”
on,
set
their
arm
alight
on
court
before
being
escorted
out
by
security.

Federer,
41,
had
not
played
a
match
since
he
was
knocked
out
of
Wimbledon
by
Hubert
Hurkacz
at
the
quarterfinal
stage
last
year
due
to
knee
injury.

Laver
Cup
2022:
Schedule,
Results,
Teams,
Previous
Winners,
Telecast
and
Live
Streaming
Information

There
were
huge
cheers
when
Federer
and
Nadal
came
onto
the
court
and
loud
roars
for
the
Swiss
great
when
he
came
up
with
his
first
winner.

There
was
a
sensational
moment
in
the
first
set
when
Federer
appeared
to
have
won
a
point
after
his
shot
hit
the
top
of
the
net
and
bounced
in,
only
for
a
replay
to
show
the
ball
had
somehow
been
hit
through
a
small
hole
between
the
net
and
the
post,
meaning
Team
Europe
lost
the
point,
despite
the
remarkably
unlikely
event
of
the
ball
passing
through
such
a
gap.

Novak
Djokovic
and
Andy
Murray
were
among
Federer
and
Nadal’s
team-mates
offering
some
tactical
input
between
games,
and
the
legendary
duo
had
to
save
a
first
break
point
of
the
match
before
the
Spaniard
held
to
put
them
5-4
up.

It
was
two
of
the
all-time
greats
that
took
a
tight
opening
set
when
Sock
put
a
volley
into
the
net,
prompting
Team
World
captain
John
McEnroe
to
tell
his
doubles
pair
they
appeared
to
be
getting
“caught
up
in
the
hoopla.”

A
determined
Team
World
managed
to
level
it
up
after
a
back-and-forth
second
set
went
to
a
tie-break,
with
Tiafoe
and
Sock
coming
out
on
top
with
their
superior
power
and
pace.

That
took
it
to
a
dramatic
deciding
match
tie-break,
with
every
point
keeping
fans
holding
their
breath,
including
some
trademark
Federer
magic
at
6-7
when
he
diverted
a
Sock
shot
across
court
for
a
crowd-pleasing
winner.

It
looked
like
the
dream
script
was
being
followed
as
Federer
served
at
match
point
for
himself
and
Nadal,
but
the
former
could
only
hit
a
shot
into
the
net,
before
Sock
and
Tiafoe
won
the
next
two
points
to
secure
the
win
for
Team
World.

It
was
then
hugs
all
round
as
respect
was
paid
to
the
20-time
grand
slam
winner
at
the
conclusion
of
a
phenomenal
career.

Earlier
in
the
day,
Casper
Ruud
drew
first
blood
for
the
Team
Europe,
beating
Sock
6-4,
5-7,
10-7,
before
Stefanos
Tsitsipas
doubled
their
advantage
with
an
emphatic
6-2,
6-1
defeat
of
Diego
Schwartzman.

Alex
de
Minaur
then
got
Team
World
on
the
board
with
a
5-7,
6-3,
10-7
success
over
home
favourite
Murray
before
the
late-night
main
event
under
the
lights.

(With
OPTA
inputs)