Laver Cup: Team Europe 8 Team World 4 – 13 points needed to win
Murray starts doubles action with Berrettini
Djokovic to face Auger-Aliassime in singlesB
01:48 PM
Murray/Berrettini 6-2, 3-6 Sock/Auger-Aliassime – MATCH TIEBREAK
Auger-Aliassime closes the net well and finishes with a volley winner, 4-3. Sock frames a backhand return but it drops in for a winner, 4-4. Berrettini double fault, 4-5. Sock attacks Murray at the net and the Briton can’t get the ball back in play, 4-6. Sock nets a forehand, 5-6. Murray double fault, 5-7.
01:42 PM
Murray/Berrettini 6-2, 3-6 Sock/Auger-Aliassime – MATCH TIEBREAK
111mph wide Berrettini ace, 1-0. Good second serve by Auger-Aliassime and Berrettini nets his return, 1-1. Bad volley by Auger-Aliassime flies well long, 2-1. It’s then Murray’s turn to hit what should have been a makeable volley long, 2-2. Auger-Aliassime return long, 3-2. Sock forehand is called out and Hawkeye confirms it, 4-2.
01:37 PM
Murray/Berrettini* 6-2, 3-6 Sock/Auger-Aliassime (*denotes next server)
Great feel by Murray at the net to finish with a drop shot winner, 0-15. Auger-Aliassime forehand long, 0-30.
Sock overhead winner, 15-30. Another overhead winner by Sock, 40-30.
Berrettini steps forehand and pushes a backhand return down the line for a winner, deuce. Auger-Aliassime overhead winner brings up a second set point.
And Team World get the job done! Auger-Aliassime comes up with the volley winner to seal the net and now we will have a 10 point ‘Laverbreaker’ to decide the match.
01:31 PM
Murray/Berrettini 6-2, 3-5 Sock/Auger-Aliassime* (*denotes next server)
Auger-Aliassime has really raised his level while Berrettini’s has dropped. The latter misses a very makeable volley then the former whips a lovely forehand down the line for a winner, 30-30.
Another forehand down the line by Auger-Aliassime is too big for Murray, who nets. Deuce.
But Murray forces Team World to serve for the set with a volley winner.
01:25 PM
Murray/Berrettini* 6-2, 2-5 Sock/Auger-Aliassime (*denotes next server)
Murray goes at Auger-Aliassime with a forehand and Auger-Aliassime’s volley goes wide, 15-30. Sock forehand into the net, 15-40.
World save the first break point after Berrettini nets a backhand. And the second when Auger-Aliassime puts away an overhead winner, deuce.
Gritty hold by World is sealed when Murray tamely nets a backhand.
01:19 PM
Murray/Berrettini 6-2, 2-4 Sock/Auger-Aliassime* (*denotes next server)
Berrettini holds his serve to 30 to keep Europe in the set. Team World still have the momentum though.
01:14 PM
Murray/Berrettini* 6-2, 1-4 Sock/Auger-Aliassime (*denotes next server)
124mph first serve by Auger-Aliassime is unreturned by Murray, 30-15. Sock finds himself in no mans land but he is covered by Auger-Aliassime who draws the error from Murray.
Berrettini forehand into the net and Auger-Aliassime holds serve again.
01:10 PM
Murray/Berrettini 6-2, 1-3 Sock/Auger-Aliassime* (*denotes next server)
Europe get back on track as Murray holds to 15. This match needed this response from Team World, it hadn’t been a competive match until this point.
01:05 PM
Murray/Berrettini* 6-2, 0-3 Sock/Auger-Aliassime (*denotes next server)
Suddenly Auger-Aliassime has come alive. He’s all over everything at the net.
Berrettini overhead winner, 30-30. Auger-Aliassime gets low to reach a volley and Berrettini nets a forehand.
Forehand to forehand battle by Sock and Murray, Auger-Aliassime gets a volley which hits Berrettini but gives them the game.
01:01 PM
Murray/Berrettini 6-2, 0-2 Sock/Auger-Aliassime* (*denotes next server)
A couple of errors from Berrettini and that gives Team World an opening.
Great defense by Auger-Aliassime to not give up on an overhead, keep the point alive and Berrettini puts a forehand long.
World breaks! Their first of the match as Auger-Aliassime comes good again in a net duel and Murray misses.
12:56 PM
Second Set: Murray/Berrettini* 6-2, 0-1 Sock/Auger-Aliassime (*denotes next server)
Good energy from Team World at the start of this set and importantly for Auger-Aliassime he hangs onto his serve in the opening game of the second set.
12:49 PM
Murray/Berrettini 6-2 Sock/Auger-Aliassime* (*denotes next server)
125mph ace from Murray brings up three set points for Europe. And they take it at the first opportunity when Sock’s forehand return flies long.
Very good doubles tennis from Europe.
12:47 PM
Murray/Berrettini* 5-2 Sock/Auger-Aliassime (*denotes next server)
124mph first serve by Sock but Berrettini reads it and drills a forehand winner past the American, 30-30.
Ouch. Berrettini and Murray go for the same ball and the latter ends up on the floor as a result. But Berrettini carries on and finishes with a drop shot winner. Break point Europe. Murray is fine to continue.
Auger-Aliassime saves the break point with an overhead winner but Europe get another break point when Murray blasts a forehand winner through the middle of Team World.
Europe target Auger-Aliassime again at the net and the Canadian blinks first, putting a volley long.
Europe break and will serve for the set.
12:41 PM
Murray/Berrettini 4-2 Sock/Auger-Aliassime* (*denotes next server)
A 130mph first serve by Berrettini enables Murray to finish with an easy overhead winner, 40-0.
And a 127mph ace from Berrettini seals another routine service hold for Europe.
12:38 PM
Murray/Berrettini* 3-2 Sock/Auger-Aliassime (*denotes next server)
Much better game from Auger-Aliassime as he holds to love. Hopefully that will boost his confidence after a tricky start.
12:35 PM
Murray/Berrettini 3-1 Sock/Auger-Aliassime* (*denotes next server)
Berrettini volley winner, 30-15. He’s been the best player in the opening stages. Sock makes another forehand error, 40-15.
Berrettini shows his sharpness again at the net to finish the game with a smash winner.
12:31 PM
Murray/Berrettini* 2-1 Sock/Auger-Aliassime (*denotes next server)
Chance for Murray when he gets a short ball but he nets a forehand, 30-15. Double fault by Sock, 30-30.
Murray forehand return and Auger-Aliassime messes up his volley, break point.
Berrettini goes at Auger-Aliassime again with a big forehand and the Canadian can’t control his volley which flies long.
Europe breaks.
12:27 PM
Murray/Berrettini 1-1 Sock/Auger-Aliassime* (*denotes next server)
Confident start by Berrettini on his serve as he holds to 15 with good consistency on his first serve.
He will be tough to break today.
12:23 PM
First Set: Murray/Berrettini* 0-1 Sock/Auger-Aliassime (*denotes next server)
Auger-Aliassime starts the match on his serve and on the opening point Berrettini blasts a forehand straight through him.
Auger-Aliassime then frames a forehand long, 0-30. Nervous start by the Canadian. But a couple of big first serves pulls it back to 30-30.
Good anticipation at the net from Sock to finish with a volley winner, 40-30. And Sock finishes with an overhead winner. Good recovery from 0-30 down.
12:11 PM
Standing ovation for Federer
Potentially the final time we’ll see the Swiss on a tennis court in the UK.
And the majority of the fans are on their feet to welcome him. An incredible reception from the crowd.
12:05 PM
‘The greatest event in tennis’…
Says the court announcer for the Laver Cup as we await the players.
That’s a very bold statement…
11:58 AM
Not long to go now…
11:53 AM
Berrettini on Federer
Having the chance to live what we lived [on Friday] is something that’s going to be stuck in my heart and my brain forever. I’m not lying when I say that I’m here because of him. Like, he was really the one that I was looking up to.
If, a few years ago someone told me, ‘Look, you’re going to play Laver Cup, and Roger’s going to coach you,’ I would have been, like, ‘Yeah, right’.
11:41 AM
This is what the two teams are playing for. Decent looking trophy…
11:30 AM
‘Do not mourn the end of the GOAT – sport always serves up new heroes’
The Telegraph’s chief sports writer Oliver Brown ponders where tennis goes next following Roger Federer’s retirement:
It appears, in both tennis and beyond, as if we are witnessing the end of what we might call “the GOAT era”. Where there is a danger of excessively romanticising the present, drawing awkward comparisons between different periods to anoint Federer the greatest of all time, the statistics do not lie, with the Big Three in the men’s game having stockpiled 57 of the past 68 major titles between them. It seems inconceivable that such dominance can be concentrated among so few. At some point, the torch must be passed. But to whom?
Read more here.
11:18 AM
Good morning
Hello and welcome to coverage from the Laver Cup at the O2 Arena.
It is the final day of the Team Europe vs Team World event and it is the latter who need a big day if they are to win for the first time. After starting the evening session level at 4-4, Novak Djokovic made a scintillating return to action, first dismantling Frances Tiafoe in straight sets then linking up with Matteo Berrettini in the doubles to beat Jack Sock and Alex de Minaur.
It means we start the day with Europe leading 8-4 and needing just five more points to win. With three points available for a win, there is plenty to play for. The opening match of the day sees Andy Murray team up with Berrettini to face Sock and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
That’s then followed by Djokovic against Auger-Aliassime in singles. Djokovic was in dazzling form in his first matches since winning Wimbledon in July.
Federer’s retirement has brought the longevity of his great rivals into sharper focus while fans and pundits have wondered how men’s tennis would cope with the prospect of losing their most marketable athletes. But for now, the 21-time grand slam champion is not thinking about hanging up his racket.
“I’m not playing as much as I played few years ago. I want to peak at the best tournaments, biggest tournaments in the world, which are Grand Slams and some of the biggest ATP events, playing for my country,” Djokovic said.
“That’s what gives me the most motivation and inspires me to play the best tennis. I really want to keep going. I don’t have the ending of my career on the horizon at the moment. “I just want to keep going as long as I feel good and I can compete with the youngsters, that I could be one of the candidates to win Grand Slams.”
