ATP roundup: Carlos Alcaraz wins twice, leads Team Europe past Team World
League: Tennis 
Posted on: 22 Sep, 2024 at 09:25 PM
Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
Carlos Alcaraz couldn't be beaten on Sunday, winning two matches to lift Team Europe to a 13-11 victory over Team World for the Laver Cup title in Berlin.
The Spaniard, ranked No. 3 in the world, defeated No. 7 Taylor Fritz 6-2, 7-5 in the final match of the three-day event to secure the trophy for Team Europe for the first time since 2021.
Alcaraz earlier partnered with Casper Ruud of Norway to win a doubles match against Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe 6-2, 7-6 (6).
Team World's Shelton won a battle with Russia's Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (6), 7-5, 10-7, while Germany's Alexander Zverev kept Team Europe's hopes alive with a 6-7 (5), 7-5, 10-5 comeback victory over Tiafoe.
Bjorn Borg, serving the last of his seven-year stint as Team Europe captain, won for the fifth time. Team Europe had five of the top 10 players in the world rankings. John McEnroe was Team World captain for the seventh and final time.
Hangzhou Open
Marin Cilic continued his comeback from injury, fighting off two match points to defeat Yasutaka Uchiyama of Japan 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5) to reach the semifinals in China.
Cilic, 35, advanced to his 67th career semifinal after saving eight of nine break points, as well, as he seeks his 21st ATP Tour title.
The Croatian will take on fourth-seeded Brandon Nakashima in the semifinals after the American defeated Rinky Hijikata of Australia 7-5, 6-3.
An all-Chinese match -- the first in an ATP Tour semifinal in the Open Era -- also awaits. Sixth-seeded Zhizhen Zhang topped Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3, 6-3, and he will square off against wild card Yunchaokete Bu, a wild card who defeated Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 6-4, 6-2.
Chengdu Open
Chinese teenager Juncheng Shang upset second-seeded Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan 6-4, 7-6 (8) to move to the semifinals of his home-country tournament.
The 19-year-old is seeking his first tour title and will need to defeat Yannick Hanfmann of Germany in Monday's semifinal to have a chance. Hanfmann topped Pedro Martinez of Spain 7-6 (1), 6-2 in the quarters.
Top seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy knocked out Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 to set up a semifinal match with Alibek Kachmazov. The Russian upset Nicolas Jarry of Chile, the third seed, 6-3, 6-4 to move on.
--Field Level Media
The Spaniard, ranked No. 3 in the world, defeated No. 7 Taylor Fritz 6-2, 7-5 in the final match of the three-day event to secure the trophy for Team Europe for the first time since 2021.
Alcaraz earlier partnered with Casper Ruud of Norway to win a doubles match against Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe 6-2, 7-6 (6).
Team World's Shelton won a battle with Russia's Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (6), 7-5, 10-7, while Germany's Alexander Zverev kept Team Europe's hopes alive with a 6-7 (5), 7-5, 10-5 comeback victory over Tiafoe.
Bjorn Borg, serving the last of his seven-year stint as Team Europe captain, won for the fifth time. Team Europe had five of the top 10 players in the world rankings. John McEnroe was Team World captain for the seventh and final time.
Hangzhou Open
Marin Cilic continued his comeback from injury, fighting off two match points to defeat Yasutaka Uchiyama of Japan 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5) to reach the semifinals in China.
Cilic, 35, advanced to his 67th career semifinal after saving eight of nine break points, as well, as he seeks his 21st ATP Tour title.
The Croatian will take on fourth-seeded Brandon Nakashima in the semifinals after the American defeated Rinky Hijikata of Australia 7-5, 6-3.
An all-Chinese match -- the first in an ATP Tour semifinal in the Open Era -- also awaits. Sixth-seeded Zhizhen Zhang topped Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3, 6-3, and he will square off against wild card Yunchaokete Bu, a wild card who defeated Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 6-4, 6-2.
Chengdu Open
Chinese teenager Juncheng Shang upset second-seeded Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan 6-4, 7-6 (8) to move to the semifinals of his home-country tournament.
The 19-year-old is seeking his first tour title and will need to defeat Yannick Hanfmann of Germany in Monday's semifinal to have a chance. Hanfmann topped Pedro Martinez of Spain 7-6 (1), 6-2 in the quarters.
Top seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy knocked out Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 to set up a semifinal match with Alibek Kachmazov. The Russian upset Nicolas Jarry of Chile, the third seed, 6-3, 6-4 to move on.
--Field Level Media
