(London) Félix Auger-Aliassime lost 7-6 (11), 4-6, 10-7 to Italian Metteo Berrettini in the first singles match of the day at the Laver Cup on Saturday.
Posted at 11:02
Updated at 1:03 p.m.
Auger Aliassime, 13e world racket, thus suffered a third defeat in four career games on the ATP circuit against Berrettini, 15e world player.
This gave the European team a 4-2 lead against the international team.
American Taylor Fritz, however, made sure to bring both teams back to square one by beating Britain’s Cameron Norrie 6-1, 4-6, 10-8 in the second singles match of the day.
The Laver Cup format awards two points for a singles win, meaning Fritz tied the game 4-4 in triumph.
Norrie ran on the court painted black following the withdrawal of Spaniard Rafael Nadal. “Rafa” explained that he had to leave the competition on Saturday to join his wife, who is soon to give birth to their first child.
This match will be followed by that between the Serbian Novak Djokovic and the American Frances Tiafoe, a little later this afternoon.
A doubles match between the pair formed by Berrettini and Djokovic against that of the American Jack Sock and the Australian Alex de Minaur will close the day’s activities at the O2 Arena in London.
This team competition was created by Roger Federer’s management company. The 41-year-old Swiss made his swan song Friday night in doubles with his eternal rival, Nadal. The holder of 20 career Grand Slam titles and Nadal lost 4-6, 7-6(2), 11-9 to Sock and Tiafoe.