Alcaraz claws back win over Fritz as Europe and World level the score
Carlos Alcaraz beat Taylor Fritz in a tight three-set match on day two of the Laver Cup, while Alexander Zverev lost to Alex de Minaur, leaving the Europe and World teams tied after eight matches.
On the second day of the Laver Cup in London, two singles matches shaped the overall standings between Team Europe and Team World.
German player Alexander Zverev, seeded second in the event, fell to Australia's Alex de Minaur in three sets, 6:2, 6:7, 9:11.
A tense finish for Alcaraz
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz then defeated American Taylor Fritz 6:3, 4:6, 13:11. In the deciding match tiebreak, Alcaraz raced to a 5:1 lead, but Fritz clawed back to 9:10 and then 10:11 before Alcaraz closed it out 13:11.
Statistics showed Alcaraz held a slight edge in total points won (73 to 70) and in converted break points (3 of 8 compared to 2 of 4). He also posted a better ratio of clean winners to unforced errors, 45:33, against Fritz's 24:9.
Following these two matches, the overall score between the Europe and World teams evened out. The event is being played on hard court in a London arena.
About the tournament
The Laver Cup has been held since 2017. Team Europe won in the early years, the World team then triumphed twice, Europe regained the upper hand afterward, and last year the World team came out on top.
The competition format has six players per team, with 12 matches played over three days — nine singles and three doubles. A win earns one point on the first day, two points on the second day, and three points on the third day. The first team to reach 13 points wins the event.
