Laver Cup 2022: Berrettini and Djokovic win for Europe; Norrie in bitter loss

Team Europe began the second day of competition with a rather different look from the one that united it in tearful emotion in the early hours of a long first day at the O2.

The tournament already knew that Federer would be replaced by Matteo Berrettini once the Swiss champion’s doubles match was over: His knee following multiple surgeries was not up to any more.

But the squad faced a double whammy. Rafael Nadal had arrived later than the rest, delayed by personal matters at home. He came already tired and emotional as he awaited the safe arrival of his first child, and was also hugely affected by joining his great friend and rival in Federer’s last match. Indeed the two men were still ‘on duty’ at gone 2am after their loss in front of a passionate crowd.

Even so, Federer, who had almost certainly not got back to his hotel, family and bed before 4am, and in a still-heightened state of emotion, joined the parade of Team Europe onto court for their first singles match. He may not be playing, but he would be backing them to what he hoped would be the winning finish line.

First up was the 15-ranked former Wimbledon runner-up Berrettini, after a difficult summer of hand surgery and then a Covid infection that forced him out of Wimbledon.

He took on the 22-year-old Canadian talent, Felix Auger-Aliassime, currently ranked two places higher but with a 1-2 record against the big Italian. And last year, he lost in a tight match at Laver Cup in a final tie-break. It would follow a similar pattern this time.

They played an intense first hour in which neither man gave way in some high-quality exchanges. Just one break point came and went in the entire hour-and-a-quarter set, but the Italian edged a tense tussle, 7-6(11).

Come the second set, and the young Canadian got the upper hand, targeting the weaker Italian backhand and breaking in the third game. He served out the set to love, 6-4, to take the match to a 10-point tie-breaker. Here, Berrettini cheered on by Federer and Andy Murray sealed the deal, 10-7, in what had been a long and compelling contest.

The Italian said “just honoured to, you know, represent Team Europe instead of [Roger] in singles.

“I’m not lying when I say that I’m here because of him. Like he was really the one that I was looking up to. He was the one that I was supporting, cheering for him. I was getting upset… So for me, living these moments is something that really means everything. So it was tough, tough to sleep. I didn’t get a lot of sleep.

“But at the same time, I was really pumped to step in and give my best. I’m really happy obviously for the win, but I feel like this weekend we’re kind of celebrating something that is bigger than Laver Cup, than tennis. It’s just him.

Still Federer and Murray were in residence on the team bench, often deep in conversation, often giggling over some shared comment. It certainly looked as though Federer had put stresses and strains of the previous night behind him.

Next came Briton Cameron Norrie, taking Nadal’s place in the tournament, against Taylor Fritz, in what looked initially like a baptism of fire: He went 4-0 down in the blink of an eye before holding serve to get on the scoreboard. But the power and zip of the younger American forced error after error, and Fritz broke the Briton for the set, 6-1, in under 25 minutes and with 11 winners to Norrie’s two.

In previous matches, the two men were 5-5, and one apiece this year, both going the distance. Each had won a Masters title and broken the top 10: It should have been a close affair.

Murray and Federer were in Norrie’s ear between sets. Whatever they said, it had a quick impact, a break in the first game. He was working the angles with his flat leftie strikes, but Fritz began to up the pace again, and broke back for 2-2.

But with more input from his bench, Norrie suddenly had a break point, and converted to huge roars all round. He would serve out the set, 6-4 for another match-tie-break.

There, Fritz took a commanding lead, 5-2, and although Norrie edged closer, he could not stave off the American’s serve: Fritz took an important win, 10-8.

So with the teams at 4-4, it was the turn of Novak Djokovic to make his return to competitive tennis for the first time since he won Wimbledon over two months ago.

The mighty Serb had played only seven tournaments this year, prohibited from both the Australian and US Opens by his unvaccinated status. So he had lost the No1 ranking that he had held longer than any other player, but he had become an highly-involved member of a starry Team Europe preparing for the retirement of one of his greatest rivals.

And Djokovic was clearly keen to get things moving; he took on double duty, playing Frances Tiafoe in singles, and returning immediately with Berrettini to play doubles against Alex de Minaur and Jack Sock.

Tiafoe was at a career-high ranking of 19 after a breakthrough run at the US Open, so he had reason for optimism, especially after his performance alongside Sock in beating the Federer/Nadal duo in doubles already.

Now, the first man to come and tap Djokovic on the arm was Federer, and the two men through the course of this Laver Cup, more so than during their more stilted relationship at Chicago, had become closer during this special week.

Both men were very familiar with the O2 venue and their many meetings here, but were getting to know one another better during these bonding days before the tournament—dinners, galas, boat trips, and quality time on the team benches, practice courts, and in the team locker room.

And for someone who had not played for so long, there was no rust at all on the Djokovic serve and shot-making: a fast opening hold, and then a break in the third game.

With Djokovic 4-1 up, it was Murray who came down for an intimate chat while Federer ambled to the Team World area with a shrug that said—well, he is a 21-time Major champion.

This was statement tennis: Djokovic missed just two first serves as he raced to the set, 6-1, and did not drop a point on serve. He needed no suggestions or pointers from the bench: They just applauded.

It continued in the second set with an immediate break, and then a challenging hold for Djokovic, 2-0. Tiafoe needed to find some pattern changes but nothing seemed to break the accuracy and clean-hitting of Djokovic, who worked another break chance.

Tiafoe saved it, but could make no inroads on the Serb’s serve, and eventually, almost inevitably, Tiafoe found himself serving at 3-5. The end came swiftly, 6-3, a 72-minute win in which Djokovic made 17 winners for only three errors.

But after a long tribute to Federer and the impact of the previous night’s conclusion, Djokovic pointed out that he had only a quarter of an hour to prepare for another match. Europe was now 6-4 up, and another win would take them to 8-4 overnight.

• Djokovic and Berrettini sealed the doubles win, 7-5, 6-2, to give Europe an 8-4 lead into the last day, where matches will be worth three points apiece. The winning team needs to reach 13 points.

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