 "Team Europe's Carlos Alcaraz returns to Team World's Taylor Fritz on the third day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament. AP")
Carlos Alcaraz turned down comparisons with 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer moments after his victory over Taylor Fritz helped Team Europe clinch the Laver Cup over Team World .
The 21-year-old Spaniard, playing the team tournament for the first time, beat USA’s Taylor Fritz 6-2, 7-5 to win the tournament in Berlin.
Team Europe had lost the past two events and needed a come-from-behind victory from Germany’s Alexander Zverev against Frances Tiafoe, 6-7(5/7), 7-5, 10-5, to send the tournament to the final match between Alcaraz and Fritz.
After his win, the four-time Grand Slam winner was compared to peak Federer, but Alcaraz said such a comparison was “impossible”.
“I’m too far away from that level,” he said. “I hope I’ll reach it one day, but it’s really impossible.”
Alcaraz, who triumphed at the French Open and Wimbledon this season, had not played the event before.
“It’s great. We can feel proud, all of us. I’m really happy. All of us did a pretty good job over the days. It’s been a top one,” the Spaniard added.
“We almost lost, but Sasha (Zverev) came with some really good tennis and gave me a chance to win the Laver Cup.”
The world number three won Sunday’s opening match, a doubles clash alongside Casper Ruud, 6-2, 7-6 (8/6), to help put his side on course to lift the Laver Cup for the fifth time.
Alcaraz said he found it more difficult to watch matches on the sidelines than taking the court, saying “the nerves were killing us”.
“It’s really difficult to watch the matches from outside. I was trying to stay away a bit, watching on TV in the locker-room, trying to support from there.
“The nerves were there.”