Frances Tiafoe led Staff World to their first Laver Cup title because the American saved 4 match factors in a dramatic victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas that denied Roger Federer a farewell trophy on Sunday.
Tiafoe staged an excellent fightback to win 1-6,7-6 (13/11), 10/8 within the penultimate match of the match at London’s O2 Enviornment.
London turns pink.
The second @FTiafoe gained #LaverCup 2022 for Staff World. pic.twitter.com/RbbcUMu5ri
— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 25, 2022
That was sufficient to offer John McEnroe’s Staff World a 13-8 total margin of victory with a match to spare, sealing their first ever triumph within the competitors after Staff Europe gained the earlier 4 editions.
Whereas Federer had hoped to mark the top of his profession by lifting the trophy in a match he helped create, the Swiss legend was left to congratulate Tiafoe and the remainder of the Staff World squad.
Federer had performed the final match of his glittering profession on Friday when he and Rafael Nadal have been crushed by Tiafoe and Jack Sock within the doubles.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion’s tearful farewell was the match’s headline second, however Federer – unable to play additional matches as a result of knee issues that compelled his retirement – stayed round to cheer on his Staff Europe colleagues.
Regardless of the presence of Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic and former world primary Andy Murray on the Staff Europe roster, it was becoming that Tiafoe and Canadian rising star Felix Auger-Aliassime powered Staff World’s comeback from a 8-4 in a single day deficit.
Tiafoe, 24, and Auger-Aliassime, 22, are a part of a era anticipated to stage centre-stage now Federer has retired, with Nadal and Murray additionally within the twilight of their careers.
Needing to win three of Sunday’s 4 matches, Staff World have been dragged again into competition by Auger-Aliassime.
– Federer farewell –
“Wanting ahead to subsequent 12 months, I will be there too and assist each groups after all, from a unique place”
A well-known “see you subsequent 12 months” from Roger Federer that hits otherwise now. 🥹
📽 #LaverCup pic.twitter.com/G455awcQvU
— The Subject (@thefield_in) September 25, 2022
Auger-Aliassime handed Djokovic his first defeat since Might because the Canadian teenager powered to a 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) victory.
Djokovic, who missed the latest US Open on account of his unvaccinated standing, had gained his first match for 2 months on Saturday when the 21-time Grand Slam champion defeated Tiafoe in straight units.
Djokovic had probability to keep up his sturdy return to motion in opposition to Auger-Aliassime when he broke within the opening sport of the primary set.
However Auger-Aliassime hit again with a pair of breaks to depart Djokovic on the ropes.
The second set went to a tie-break that Auger-Aliassime gained emphatically as he overpowered Djokovic with some searing groundstrokes.
It was the primary time Djokovic had tasted defeat since dropping to Nadal within the French Open quarter-finals.
“It’s among the finest performances of my profession. I’ve been shut a couple of instances in opposition to these nice champions, so it feels to nice to get a win like this,” Auger-Aliassime mentioned.
Auger-Aliassime’s first ever win over Djokovic was particularly spectacular as he had already partnered Sock to a 2-6, 6-3, 10/8 doubles victory over Matteo Berrettini and Murray earlier on Sunday.
Auger-Aliassime’s heroics set the stage for Tiafoe who didn’t disappoint.
Tsitsipas blazed via the primary set in simply 21 minutes, however the Greek’s quick begin was halted by the defiant Tiafoe.
Tsitsipas squandered 4 match factors within the second set tie-break as Tiafoe confirmed why he reached this 12 months’s US Open semi-finals, staving off defeat in nerveless style.
On his third set level, Tiafoe delivered a superbly positioned volley to set off a primary to 10 factors ‘Laver Breaker’.
Tiafoe tipped the match in his favour with an astonishing cross-court winner after sprinting to the web to achieve the disbelieving Tsitsipas’s drop-shot.
It was a second of magic that recalled Federer at his best and the Swiss nice couldn’t resist a wry grin as he soaked up his final style of big-time tennis earlier than using into the sundown.
