(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images for Laver Cup)
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The second day of this year’s Laver Cup in Boston began as so many of the previous editions did: with Team World trying to crawl out of a Day 1 hole.
And it was clear that captain John McEnroe has huge faith in by far the oldest and most experienced player on the team, American John Isner.
And in his Laver Cup stalwart Nick Kyrgios – despite the Aussie barely having played any tennis over the last two years.
It did … not work out. Team World swept the three singles and final doubles match. And they’re in a commanding position.
(All screenshots, unless indicated, are from TSN)
Here are the final results
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Day Session:
Stefanos Tsitsipas def Nick Kyrgios 63 64
Alexander Zverev def John Isner 76 (5) 67 (8) [10-5]
Night session:
Daniil Medvedev def Denis Shapovalov 64 60
Andrey Rublev / Stefanos Tsitsipas def. John Isner / Nick Kyrgios 67 (8) 63 [10-4]
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Rublev eliminates the shit, pulls out the cannon
“Me, sometimes in the first set I was doing some shit, some easy mistakes,” Andrey Rublev said after the doubles win.
At that point, he was just hoping that Tsitsipas would be the leader on the court and he’d offer whatever he could.
And then, he started cannoning the forehand. And then all the volleys were going in, too.
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Doubles win means Team World Sweep
It’s not over. But it’s over.
If Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, who had never played together, can beat Isner and Kyrgios, you’re pretty cooked.
Team World finishes Day 2 leading 11-1.
Team World would have to win all four matches on Sunday.
As if.
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Mid-match interview with Zverev
(No, Mark Petchey didn’t ask him about his alleged bit of trash-talking after Friday night’s doubles loss – that Team World would not win another point this weekend).
Of course, he’s not wrong so far.
His tactics for Andrey Rublev are that when he’s hammering it, he’s the best player on the court. So he should just stay at the baseline and hammer.
Kickin’ it old-school.
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Handshakes all around
After Nick Kyrgios and John Isner shook the hand of the UPS guy who was doing the coin toss, he decided it’d be a great idea to go shake the hands of his opponents.
Before the match!
Pretty funny, actually.
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Even Shapo had to laugh
There was literally nothing much Shapovalov could do in a 6-4, 6-0 loss to
“And then, yeah, I couldn’t miss a ball any more. I’m really happy about it,” Medvedev.
Medvedev said he’d hit just once, for a half hour, before coming to Boston. And he said that usually, after that kind of a break, he needed two weeks to just feel “okay”. Not even great
“I guess when you win a Grand Slam it’s a different feeling,” he said.
No kidding.
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Denis Shapovalov, right now
It’s not like he’s not trying.
But this is Denis Shapovalov right now.
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Papa Fed in the house
Roger Federer didn’t only make the trip to Boston to oversee his baby, he brought company.
Dad Robert is also along for the trip, even though he hadn’t been seen until now.
Looking as dapper and jolly as ever.
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Bruins might have outroared the Celtics
Hard to tell for sure, but Jack Sock in the Bruins’ jersey might have outdone Schwartzman in the Celtic’s tank top in the battle of TD Garden team garb.
But just barely. Schwartzman certainly was a better sashayer.
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Zverev edges Isner in Match 2
It could have been over in straight sets, as John Isner faced 0-40 on his serve, at 4-4 in the second set.
But somehow he managed to get back, and win the second set.
(Let’s say he had some practice at that Friday night in the doubles).
But in the end, Isner fell just short. And Alexander Zverev’s victory extended Team Europe’s lead to 7-1 and threatens to turn this year’s Laver Cup into a rout.
.@AlexZverev edges Isner in a #LaverCup thriller. https://t.co/bJRbjsIiit pic.twitter.com/1bXOvm5U3l
— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 25, 2021
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Tsitsipas overcomes Kyrgios in Match 1
There’s no questioning Nick Kyrgios’s heart in the Laver Cup format.
Unfortunately, he’s played so little tennis that while the spirit might be willing, the flesh just wasn’t strong enough against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
“It was quite nerve-wracking,” Tsitsipas said.
As much faith as captain McEnroe has in his spirit animal, the recent results don’t lie.
In hindsight (or maybe in foresight), do you not play Kyrgios on the first day, to gauge his form at least?
And, worse comes to worse, he loses but it’s only one point, on the first day.
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Feliciano Lopez has a quick commute to make
As Feliciano Lopez toils as the alternate to Team Europe this weekend, he’s going to make to make a quick turnaround.
Lopez is playing in the Orléans Challenger this coming week.
And, as the draw gods would have it, he gets to face an old friend, an old foe.
Voici le tableau des simples de cette 16ème édition de @opendorleans #opendorleans #atpchallenger #tennis pic.twitter.com/p5RnGb1E2x
— Open d’Orléans (@opendorleans) September 25, 2021
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ShoelaceGate strikes again
No wonder Nick Kyrgios was laughing as he returned to the Team World bench, as opponent Stefanos Tsitsipas had a shoelace malfunction in the middle of a game.
He’s seen it all before.
It also happened in Antwerp in 2017.
But this was a legit thing – the entire part of the shoelace not laced into the shoe fell off.
Alternate Feliciano Lopez, the consummate team player, proceeded to take the shoelace out of his own (Asics) shoe to put in Tsitsipas’s shoe.
Then, another pair was fetched.
The slow, gritty courts are not helping the shoe situation, for anyone.
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Mac acknowledges Mac hommage
There always at least ONE guy at every tournament who puts together a costume hommage to the glory days of John McEnroe.
This time, the man got the thumbs up from the original.
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Fed and Andy in the house
A little reunion courtside, as Roger Federer and Andy Roddick sit together to take in the action between Kyrgios and Tsitsipas.
It begs the question, though (and no offence to anyone who is in the broadcast booth): why the HECK aren’t these two guys up there?
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Seles with the coin toss
A special guest for the ceremonial coin toss Saturday was Monica Seles (who was spotted in the crowd sitting with Mary Joe Fernandez Friday night).
According to commentator Sam Smith, Seles lives nearby.
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Fist-bumping with Felix
For all the safety precautions, and some of the players wearing masks on the player bench, they all come into the arena as they’re introduced, unmasked, and bumping fists with the nearby crowd.
The point of the players being interviewed at a distance, with or with microphones on booms, continues to be a strange thing.
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Sock gets the Bs crowd
Jack Sock gets it – come out in a (personalized) Boston Bruins jersey, and immediately get the crowd on your side.
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