Joao Fonseca put Team World on the board on the 2025 Laver Cup with a stylish debut victory before the Doubles duo of Carlos Alcaraz and Jakub Mensik Europe had a 3-1 lead after the game of Friday in San Francisco.
The youngest player to compete at Laver Cup at the age of 19, Fonseca rushed back from 2-4 in the opening set against Flavio Cobolli, rattled five games and seven of the eight to take control of the singles showdown. After the 6-4, 6-3 victory of the Brazilian, Alcaraz and Mensik brought the momentum back for Europeans with a 7-6 (7), 6-4 victory against Taylor Fritz and Alex Michelsen. It was the first competitive action by Alcaraz since he won the US Open title and the number 1 PIF ATP ranking is back.
Team World was staring down a potential 0-3 deficit before Fonseca fired his team and the San Francisco Memerite with an electrical representation of strength and recording that Cobolli left without answers, even with Roger Federer who thrown him from the stands.
“I think my team helped me a lot, to stay positive during the game,” said Fonseca, who was born 12 days before the new team world captain Andre Agassi retired at the US Open 2006. “I was a bit more nervous than normal. It is normal. And after I started talking a little more with Andre and I still played a lot, but I did well, but I was good, but I was good, but I was good, but I was good, but I was good, but I was good, but I was good, but I was good, but I was good, but I was good, but I was good, but good, but I did well, but good, but good, but good, but good, but good, but well, I got through, I am very happy with that. ”
The crowd sang the name of Fonseca during the competition, and his captain and teammates participated in the pleasure of party after the much needed victory.
Alcaraz and Mensik briefly cut off the home team with a clinical doubles in which they were not confronted with a breaking point, according to Infosys ATP statistics. But the Spanish-Czech duo had to save a set point, on return at 5/6 in the first set of Break. The only break of the game came in his last game, when Fritz could not expand the entertaining game.
“I think it is double, it gives you more opportunities to take great photos, great Volleys,” said Alcaraz, whose Showmanship was completely visible. “But Doubles is not just about one player. You have to work with a great player like I did today with Jakub. Thanks to him with his great shots, great skills on the Volleys, he gave me comfortable on the field.”
Mensik, who also defeated Michelsen in Singles earlier, completed a perfect Laver Cup debut by winning both games on day 1. The promotion will take place in San Francisco on Saturday, starting at 1 p.m. local time.
Since the start of Laver Cup in 2017, no team has returned from 3-1 to win.
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