Team Europe wins third Laver Cup title on Roger Federer's home turf
Team Europe celebrate with the Laver Cup trophy.
Laver Cup, the brainchild of Roger Federer, is an annual team event between Team Europe and Team World to commemorate the achievements and legacy of Rod Laver, the only player in tennis history to win all four Grand Slams tournaments in a year on two occasions (1962 and 1969).
In the just-concluded third edition of the event in Geneva, Team Europe was pushed to the limit by Team World before triumphing in a match-tiebreak in the twelfth match to complete a 'three-peat'.
Since losing the inaugural Laver Cup 15-9 to Team Europe in Prague 2017 and by 13-8 in Chicago 2018, Team World belied its underdog status in Geneva 2019 to take a commanding 11-7 lead on the final day and came within a match tiebreak of claiming their first win in the competition.
Team World entered the final day of the competition trailing 5-7, on a day each win counted for three points. Rafael Nadal withdrew due to inflammation in his hand, which meant that Geneva lost the prospect of witnessing Federer and Nadal teaming up on the same side of the court for only the second time in their illustrious careers.
A last-gasp makeshift combination of Federer and Stefanos Tsitsipas took on the Team World combination of Jack Sock and John Isner. Following the young Greek's struggles in the doubles match the previous night with Nadal, it was a surprise to see Tsitsipas instead of Fabio Fognini turn up with Federer.
Team Europe took a one-set lead and then a mini-break lead in the match-tiebreak, only for Tsitsipas' struggles on service returns and unforced errors at inopportune moments costing the match for the home team.
More drama was in store on an eventful final day of the competition, when Nick Kyrgios, who was scheduled to play the second match of the day, withdrew with an injury.
Young American Taylor Fritz turned up to face the more illustrious Dominic Thiem. Fritz took the opening set against the run of play, after surviving three consecutive break points at 5-5. After Thiem fought back to force a match-tiebreak in which the Austrian took a 2-0 lead, Fritz regrouped to deliver a stunning win for Team World and with it, a commanding 11-7 lead in the team scores.
Federer prevails
Suddenly the hunter became the hunted. Team Europe now needed to win both the remaining matches on the day to retain their title. Federer did not disappoint his capacity home crowd as he put his game face on and overcame John Isner 6-4 7-6 (3) for his 6th win in as many singles matches at the competition.
All down to the tie-break
The outcome of the 2019 Laver Cup now hinged on the final match of the competition, where Europe's Sascha Zverev locked horns with World's Milos Raonic. Riding the momentum of Federer's win in the earlier match, Zverev took the opening set but Raonic responded with a lone break in the second set to force a match tiebreak.
Prepped up by Federer and Nadal's encouraging words of 'this is the moment which would turn your season around', Zverev roused himself and fed off the Palexpo crowd's energy to deliver a win which confirmed Team Europe's third straight title in as many editions of the competition.
For the second year in a row, wins for Federer and Sascha Zverev overhauled a final day deficit for Team Europe as Team World was left to ponder what might have been. Team World came closer to its first title than in any previous edition of the competition but not close enough on a day Team Europe barely managed to cling on their overwhelming favourite tag in Geneva.
The fourth edition of the Laver Cup in 2020 sees Team World on its home turf in Boston.