Team World beats Team Europe to claim second-straight Laver Cup title
By The Canadian Press on September 24, 2023.
VANCOUVER – Team World claimed its second straight Laver Cup title on Sunday at Rogers Arena. Americans Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe beat Hubert Hurkacz and Andrey Rublev 7-6 (7), 7-6 (7). Team World won last year’s tournament, which also marked the end of Swiss star Roger Federer’s last professional appearance before retiring. Team World took a 10-2 lead in the tournament on Saturday to put itself in the driver’s seat. The opening doubles match on Sunday featured several sustained rallies, with Shelton hitting a behind the back shot during the second game. Both sets went to tiebreakers, with Team Europe pushing to stay in the hunt for their second win of the three-day tournament. But it wasn’t to be as Hurkacz missed a drop shot, allowing Team World to clinch the win. The Polish player threw his racket down onto the court and appeared visibly angry at the missed opportunity. Speaking after the match on the court, Team World captain John McEnroe praised his team’s performance. “it felt unbelievable to kick their ass,” he said. “They’ve kicked ours many times.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2023. 12-11
