-Chicago, Illinois
Team World was in really bad shape midway through Day Two of the Laver Cup. They were down 7-1 after the losing the first two singles matches on Saturday. Fast forward 24 hours and two wins later and John Isner and Jack Sock combined for a remarkable victory on Sunday winning their doubles match over Roger Federer and Sasha Zverev in dramatic fashion 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 11-9 giving the World Team an 8-7 edge, the first time Team World has led the competition in the two years it has been played.
It was a highly entertaining affair from the start. Sock and Isner who won the Indian Wells doubles title together this year the favourites over the No. 2 and No. 5 players in the world. Federer and Zverev hadn’t played together as a team before but they held their own. They won the first set in 28 minutes making just three unforced errors along the way.
In the second set there were no breaks of serve so the teams went to a tiebreak. Team World jumped out to an early 5-1 lead after Sock hit a great backhand crosscourt return and ran over to his bench to celebrate. A monster serve from Isner forced a deciding match tiebreak set.
In the tiebreak Team Europe got out to an early lead after a big backhand service return from the 6’6 German was unreturnable.
Sock, again, came up big down 8-6. He hit a beautiful backhand crosscourt shot past Federer to close the gap. After a Federer serve made it 9-7 it was Isner’s turn to steal the show. A big forehand which Zverev chose not to hit thinking it was heading out made it 9-8 and then a monster serve set up a Sock put a way volleys to to even it at 9-9. An Isner ace made it 10-9 and then on the next point a Zeverev backhand sailed long sending the stadium into a frenzy. Sock fell to the ground and Isner jumped for joy like a young kid. It was a great thing to watch something you don’t see in tennis often.
@Sportshorn
