Laver Cup: Daniil Medvedev's convincing win puts Team Europe on course for fourth straight title

Los Angeles: Newly-crowned US Open champion Daniil Medvedev cruised past Canada’s Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 6-0 in the 2021 Laver Cup on Saturday, as Team Europe continued their march towards a fourth straight title. Medvedev’s win over Team World’s Shapovalov earned two points and gave the Europeans a whopping 11-1 overall lead heading into Sunday’s final matches at the Boston Garden arena. Team Europe need just two more points to be declared the winner. “I played unbelievable tennis, especially in the second set,” said Medvedev. “I didn’t know what to expect because after the US Open, I didn’t play for a week-and-a-half. “I came here, practised as much as I could the last three days. I didn’t hit many balls but, surprisingly, I was feeling good,” he added. “At first, it was not easy. The ball was not going as fast as I wanted. He was playing really good. Then I just couldn’t miss a ball anymore.” Unless a miracle happens, Team Europe are on track to claim their fourth consecutive title after previous wins in 2019 (Geneva), 2018 (Chicago), and 2017 (Prague). “We haven’t won yet but it is looking good,” said Team Europe captain and 11-time Grand Slam winner Bjorn Borg.

"I was a bit stressed coming into the match because actually every singles guy won so I was like, if I lose, that's not so good."

Happy with his win, @DaniilMedwed earned Team Europe a 9-1 lead. #LaverCup pic.twitter.com/nfhAS5bS3d

— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 26, 2021

The Laver Cup pits six top European players against six of their counterparts from the rest of the world. The event is played over three days. Each day four matches are played – three singles and a doubles - with the first team to reach 13 points declared the winner. Each win will be worth three points on Sunday. Earlier this month Medvedev captured his first major title at the US Open with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over Novak Djokovic, dashing the Serb’s hopes of becoming the first calendar year Grand Slam winner since 1969. Russia’s Medvedev broke the 12th-ranked Shapovalov to open the second set and then won nine straight to clinch the lop-sided victory and extend their points lead to eight. In other singles matches Saturday, Germany’s Alexander Zverev took two points off American John Isner and Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas stopped Nick Kyrgios of Australia in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.