LONDON, Sept 25 (Reuters) – Team Europe’s Casper Ruud edged Francisco Cerundolo in the Laver Cup opening match before defending champions Team World struck back with Brandon Nakashima’s win over Jakub Mensik to leave the teams tied at 1-1 after the first two matches on Friday.
Norwegian Ruud beat Cerundolo 6-7(4) 6-4 10-8 in the latest clash between the long-time rivals, who have now won five matches apiece after 10 meetings.
The second match was also decided by a 10-point tiebreak, the de facto third set, as American Nakashima defeated Mensik 6-1 3-6 10-7.
“That’s tennis for you, the margins are small,” said Ruud, who pulled out of the US Open with a back injury before representing Swede in the Davis Cup this month.
Ruud and Cerundolo firmly held their own serves in the first set before the Argentine outwitted the three-times Grand Slam finalist in the tiebreak with feints and forceful returns.
But Ruud, constantly encouraged by world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz and other teammates, staged a comeback in the second, getting the decisive break to go 5-4 up and close out the set.
The match tiebreak remained neck and neck until 8-8, before Ruud pushed Cerundolo back with a strong serve and then smashed the ball cross-court to win the match.
“I have to thank my team and my bench. They pushed me all the way. They kept me in it, really … Europe can build on this,” said Ruud.
‘AI’ NAKASHIMA LEADS TEAM WORLD COMEBACK
But Team World’s comeback was swift as Nakashima dominated the first set, breaking Czech Mensik twice in a row to build a 5-0 advantage that helped secured the first set.
Mensik then took a 3-0 lead and got himself into the contest by taking the second set. However, Nakashima was ultimately victorious on his Laver Cup debut, winning three points in a row to clinch the match tiebreak.
“This guy… I’m not convinced he’s real. I think he’s AI,” Team World captain Andre Agassi said, praising world No. 16 Nakashima’s ability to stay calm under pressure. “He just goes about his business point after point after point.”
Team World’s Alexander Bublik takes on Spaniard Rafael Jodar later on Friday followed by a doubles clash in which Alcaraz and Mensik play for Team Europe against Taylor Fritz and Bublik.
In the three-day Laver Cup, where the sport’s top players from Europe and the rest of the world compete against each other, victories on the opening day are worth a point.
Two points are awarded for victories on the second day, while the stakes get higher on the final day, with three points up for grabs in each match on Sunday.
The first side to reach 13 points from a total of 24 available are declared champions.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Purulia, India; Editing by Ken Ferris)
