(Berlin) Team World and Team Europe split the first two matches of the Laver Cup tennis tournament on Friday.
Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo gave Team World the lead against Team Europe with a straight-set 6-4, 6-4 victory over Norway’s Casper Ruud in the first match.
Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas equalised by defeating Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-1, 6-4.
PHOTO ANNEGRET HILSE, REUTERS
Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas
Ranked 31e Cerundolo overcame five double faults to earn his team a first point in the men’s tournament, played indoors and whose format is similar to the Ryder Cup in golf.
Ruud, ranked ninth in the world, made 20 unforced errors and hit just 11 winners.
Later Friday, Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov will face Alejandro Tabilo, a Chilean who was born in Toronto. No other Canadian-born players are participating in the tournament.
In the doubles match, Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and German Alexander Zverev will face Americans Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz.
Victories earned on Friday are worth one point, those earned on Saturday will earn two points and those earned on Sunday will earn three points. The first team to reach 13 points will win the tournament, which will end on Sunday.
Earlier Friday, Laver Cup and ATP officials announced a five-year extension to the current agreement.