American Frances Tiafoe was imposed on the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipaswho wasted four match points, 1-6, 7-6 (11), 10-6, to give the Rest of the World team their first Laver Cup.
Those of John McEnroe, who had lost in the four previous editions of the competition, had a perfect Sunday, with three of three victories, to lift the tie and snatch Europe from Bjorn Borg the Laver Cup.
At The O2, on a day that started 8-4 in favor of the Europeans, Tiafoe, executioner of Federer and Nadal in the doubles, settled four match points against Tsitsipas and delivered the three final points to the Rest of the World.
The American, after losing the first set by a resounding 6-1 and before Tsitsipas’s thirteen winning shots, recomposed himself, took the match to the ‘tie break’ of the second set and there he avoided the victory of the Greek by lifting four points from meeting.
Before a very nervous TsitsipasTiafoe, with a couple of spectacular points in the super playoff, put an 8-2 run against the Athens and threw himself to the ground to celebrate his first Laver.
McEnroe, captain of the losers for four editions, ended up dancing on the track after ending European dominance. The Old Continent, since the creation of the tournament in 2017, had prevailed in Prague, Chicago, Geneva and Boston, but lost this Sunday 13-8 against the Rest of the World.
The victory comes in the most special edition for its creator, a Roger Federer who will not play professional tournaments again and that he was fired at the O2 last Friday in the doubles with Rafael Nadal, who also did not play in the tournament again because he left for Manacor to await the birth of his first child.
This edition also vindicates the figure of Jack Sock, who has become the man with the most matches played in the competition (16), the most double wins (9), the most victories (10) and the most points scored (20).
