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Until the end of an emotional three days, Roger Federer was always the competitor, when he admitted that a shocking defeat for his Team Europe at the Laver Cup had been a stumbling block.
“I don’t like losing, it’s not fun, it leaves a bad taste,” said the Swiss legend, after a 13-8 reverse that saw his side lose this event for the first time in five editions.
Federer will be back soon enough and will definitely be present in some capacity at next year’s event when it goes to Vancouver. He denied there were any immediate plans to take over as Europe’s captain, and Bjorn Borg said he will continue to hold the position for a year before stepping down.
Frances Tiafoe fought back from a set-down to win against Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday
Team World raced to the field to celebrate with Tiafoe after winning their first Laver Cup
What he brings to the position, aside from prestige, is a mystery. He was powerless to stop yesterday’s three defeats that completely changed the outcome.
The Swede appears to be more of a lounger attendant than a coach on the team bench on the pitch, with the players stepping in to give advice to colleagues.
The sight and sound of great players like Novak Djokovic giving pearls of wisdom to their usual rivals is arguably the best feature of the event, and part of the excellent presentation. Whether that translates into real content remains a moot point.
Regardless, there was no doubt that the players helped out, nor any doubt that world captain John McEnroe was ecstatic at the outcome.
“I love everyone, honey!” he roared after the American Frances Tiafoe had been the hero in taking the victory.
Felix Auger-Aliassime hit the air during his Laver Cup win against Novak Djokovic
After being plunged into tears over Federer’s retirement, Europe’s superstars were left only gloomy after dropping six games to five regardless of points weighting.
Federer’s farewell dominated this glitzy affair, lending it historical significance far beyond the result.
“I didn’t have to fan them,” McEnroe said of his lower-ranked players. “Frances is prime time, he loves this stuff.”
Fresh from making it to the US Open semifinals, the irresistible Tiafoe saved four match points in a packed O2 Arena to finish the match with a 1-6, 7-6, 10-8 victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Djokovic struggled to gain a foothold in the match and was comfortably beaten in straight sets
While the performance couldn’t possibly match the magnitude of the hyperbole the TV commentators had given it, it had been an unforeseen turn of events.
The day started with a 4-8 deficit and the shift started when Andy Murray lost another double rubber before Novak Djokovic went to Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets. Before he knew it, with three points left on the line, Tiafoe had a chance to complete the disappointment.
He had come back to force a tiebreak in the second set of the marathon, then took five consecutive points in the sudden death tiebreak that would decide the match. He took it 10-8 before being mobbed by his teammates, he has once again shown true star quality.
Auger-Aliassime was congratulated by his teammates after his impressive win in three sets
Murray will start the rest of his season less encouraging. Here, the US Open and the Davis Cup, in singles and doubles, he has lost five games apart from a dead rubber against Kazakhstan in Glasgow.
Again it was a matter of a few big points that were missing, this time in the company of Matteo Berrettini. They each committed double faults in the tiebreak, losing 2-6, 6-3, 10-8 to Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jack Sock.
Murray was again left to try and look on the bright side: “I still play competitive tennis and feel good physically against top players,” he said. “I just need to start turning some of these tight losses and closing games into wins for real. It’s that simple.’
Auger-Aliassime previously teamed up with Jack Sock to defeat Andy Murray and Matteo Berretini
Auger-Aliassime went straight back onto the field and defeated Djokovic 6-3, 7-6. That came completely unexpected after the Serb looked in top form the previous evening.
Djokovic later explained that because he hadn’t played competitively since Wimbledon, his right wrist had become sore, although he still hopes to be able to play this week’s ATP event in Tel Aviv.
“To be honest, I’ve been struggling with my right wrist for four or five days,” he said.