Team World's Ben Shelton celebrates after winning a game against Team Europe's Arthur Fils during the second set of a Laver Cup tennis singles match, in Vancouver, on Friday, September 22, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
VANCOUVER – Team World made it three in a row on the first day for the first time at the Laver Cup.
Ben Shelton, Francisco Cerundolo and Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime all claimed wins on Friday.
Shelton defeated Arthur Fils 7-6 (4), 6-1 as Team World took an early lead over Team Europe at the international tennis tournament.
Cerundolo added to that with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Alejandro Davidovich-Fokina for Team World’s second win of the tournament.
Auger-Aliassime added to the rout with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Frenchman Gael Monfils.
It was a rematch between Auger-Aliassime and Monfils after they played against one another at the Laver Cup three years ago, with the Montrealer calling it the first time he had played such a fast player who made him work for every shot.
Shelton won 85 per cent of first-serve points and had the only two breaks of the match, both coming in the second set in the opening game of the tournament.
“I thought it was a great match. Pretty high level from the start,” he said.
Fils, a 19-year-old from France making his Laver Cup debut, was up 4-1 in the first set tiebreaker before Shelton stormed back with six straight points to take the first set.
“I thought it was really big for me in the first set to stay with him all the way,” said Shelton. “When you’re down early in a tiebreaker and you get it back to even, you feel like you have the momentum.
“From there at that point in the tiebreak, I got really confident and it kind of blended into the second set as well.”
The American carried that momentum into the second set, scoring the first break of the match to go up 3-1 and winning out from there.
Shelton’s points received sustained cheers from the crowd at Rogers Arena, with the American repeatedly turning towards the crowd and pumping his fist after scoring.
Shelton’s win marked the first time Team World has won the opening match at the Laver Cup.
Cerundolo thrived on his serve in his match against Davidovich-Fokina with four aces, but repeatedly struggled to finish off his European counterpart.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 22, 2023.
