Alcaraz/Ruud Give Team Europe New Life

With their collective backs very much against the wall, Team Europe responded in a big way on Sunday at Chase Center in San Francisco. With a 7-6(4), 6-1 victory from Carlos Alcaraz/Casper Ruud over Alex Michelsen/Reilly Opelka, Yannick Noah’s crew cut Team World’s advantage to 9-6, with as many as three singles matches remaining.

The win was the world No. 1 Alcaraz’s second of the weekend on the doubles court, having joined teammate Jakub Mensik for a 7-6(7), 6-4 dismissal of Michelsen and Taylor Fritz on Day 1.

The first-set tiebreak appeared to be going the way of Team World, which led 4-1, but Team Europe would promptly reel off six unanswered points to steal the opener. Alcaraz and Ruud consolidated an early break for 3-love in the second set.

The first team to 13 points will win the Laver Cup, with all matches on Sunday worth three points. Team Europe leads the global competition, founded in 2017, 5-2.