Alcaraz wins, clinches Laver Cup for Team Europe

Tennis

BERLIN — Four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz overcame Taylor Fritz 6-2, 7-5 as Team Europe rallied to beat Team World 13-11 and win the Laver Cup on Sunday.

Alcaraz broke the US Open runner-up Fritz in the 11th game and then closed out the victory on serve, sparking celebrations as the Europe team rejoiced with captain Björn Borg.

Team World was favored to win the Laver Cup for a third straight time after leading 8-4 on points heading into the last of the three days.

Europe began the comeback Sunday when Alcaraz and Casper Ruud won the doubles 6-2, 7-6 (6) against Americans Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe. But Shelton then downed Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (6), 7-5, 10-7 to move the World team into pole position.

Tiafoe, who reached the US Open semifinals, could have sealed it but he lost to French Open finalist Alexander Zverev 6-7 (5), 7-5, 10-5, setting up the decider between Alcaraz and Fritz.

The Laver Cup is formatted like golf’s Ryder Cup, with the first team to 13 points winning the contest. Each of the four matches Sunday was worth three points.

Europe’s only win in Saturday’s four matches came from Alcaraz, who won the French Open and Wimbledon this year.

On Sunday, the 21-year-old Spaniard showed his big-match temperament once again.

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