Tsitsipas strikes back for Team Europe

Stefanos Tsitsipas earned Team Europe’s first point of Laver Cup Berlin 2024 with a commanding 6-1 6-4 win over Thanasi Kokkinakis on Friday at Berlin’s Uber Arena.

The Greek star took one hour and 21 minutes to avenge his recent US Open upset to the world No. 78, and earned the seventh point of his Laver Cup career.

In his first match representing Team World, Kokkinakis saved two break points in his opening service games, courtesy of a clinical overhead and a crisp forehand winner, before sending a wayward backhand wide to hand Tsitsipas an early break.

The 26-year-old, contesting his fourth Laver Cup, showed his experience on the iconic black court. Tsitsipas quickly fell into a rhythm that armed him with the confidence to unleash on his powerful groundstrokes, which proved to be a winning combination when combined with deftly placed drop shots and net approaches.

A stunning backhand down the line earned Tsitsipas a break point in the fourth game, which he converted with a forehand winner to storm to a 4-0 lead.

Kokkinakis fought his way onto the scoreboard in the sixth game of the match, before Tsitsipas sealed the opening set as the 28-year-old Australian misdirected a backhand.

The spirited world No. 12 continued to apply pressure, breaking Kokkinakis in the opening game of the second set as the Australian sent a would-be passing shot wide.

Supported by Captain John McEnroe, Kokkinakis immediately had two chances to break back, but both were snuffed out by his lazer-focused rival.

In the fifth game of the set, the Australian underdog saved a break point to avoid falling into a deeper deficit, and was all smiles on the bench as his Team World teammates surrounded him, eager to share words of advice and encouragement.

Though Kokkinakis was increasingly solid on serve, winning 77% of first points in the second set compared to 54% in the first, the right-hander was rarely able to hit through Tsitsipas, whose shot-making drew the lion’s share of whistles from appreciative German fans.

Tsitsipas clinched match point as Kokkinakis dumped a forehand into the net, and celebrated with a huge fist pump.

“Pretty solid I would say,” said Tsitsipas, who won 15 points at the net during the match, eclipsing Kokkinakis’s six.

“It was important for us, Team Europe, to get a point, we didn’t start very well this morning but I’m very happy that I contributed a point,” said Tsitsipas, who told the crowd that he has visited Berlin once before, to attend a Coldplay concert.  “I was trying to redeem myself and go out on the court and not just do it for myself but for my whole team.

“My wish this week is to try and maximize as much as I can from my game,” said Tsitsipas, acknowledging that he felt in control of the match.

“I will really have to work hard for every single set that I will be playing this week, I really want to honor my team captains, my teammates that are by my side supporting me, and represent the continent in the best possible way,” added the Team Europe stalwart, who said Laver Cup competition brings the best out of him.

“Being pumped up from the beginning, feeling that team energy going into the court, it allows me to thrive in a different way than I usually thrive when I play on my own, so it does give me that stronger sense of purpose and determination to get out there and rally as long as it takes,” Tsitsipas added.

Borg credited the right-hander’s unbelievable quality of tennis. “It matter[s] to perform at the right time, and he did that today.”

“This was very important for us, we needed this point,” Borg said. “Stefanos played really good tennis…I’m happy he won.”

For the second time in Laver Cup history, scores are tied 1-1 following Team World’s Francisco Cerundolo 6-4 6-4 upset of world No. 9 Casper Ruud. “A lot of good tennis coming up,” Borg teased ahead of the night session.