De Minaur, Cerundolo propel Team World to Laver Cup lead over Europe / Photo: EZRA SHAW - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
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De Minaur, Cerundolo propel Team World to Laver Cup lead over Europe
Alex De Minaur and Francisco Cerundolo pushed Team World into the lead ahead of Team Europe with victories in Saturday's first two singles matches at the Laver Cup.
Europe led 3-1 after day one, but with victories worth two points on Saturday, Team World pulled level on Australian De Minaur's 6-1, 6-4 win over world number three Alexander Zverev of Germany.
Argentina's Cerundolo then out-lasted Denmark's Holger Rune 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) to put the World side captained by Andre Agassi ahead 5-3.
World number eight De Minaur, a late replacement for injured Frances Tiafoe, raced through his opening set and held firm as third-ranked Zverev kept it close in the second.
"I knew it was only going to get harder," said De Minaur, who claimed just his third victory over Zverev in 11 encounters.
All three of those wins have come in team events, the first two at the ATP Cup and United Cup.
"I think it brings a different type of energy," De Minaur said. "I enjoy when there's a bench, teammates I'm playing for."
De Minaur used his speed and a deft touch at the net. A dominant force on hard courts this season, he said he needed a wide variety on the unusually slow Laver Cup surface.
"These courts and conditions are so slow and the ball bounces so low, so ultimately against someone like (Zverev), I'm not going to be able to hit through him," De Minaur said. "So I've got to bring variety, I've got to bring my core craft, I've got to not only use my legs to recover balls but also try to take time away."
Cerundolo pocketed the first set against Rune with one break of serve.
Rune recovered an early break in the second set and fended off three break points in the fifth game as the second set evolved into a dogfight.
But the Dane couldn't covert his own four break chances in the sixth game and they battled to the tiebreaker, where Cerundolo gave himself a match point with a service winner and fired a forehand winner to seal the victory.
World number one Carlos Alcaraz headlined the night session trying to get Europe back on level terms when he took on fifth-ranked American Taylor Fritz.
Rune was then due to team with Casper Ruud in doubles against De Minaur and American Alex Michelsen.
F.Bennett--AMWN