By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday September 25, 2021
John Isner fell just short of an upset victory, leaving Team Europe with a commanding 7-1 lead at Laver Cup.
Photo Source: Getty
Team Europe is on top of the world after Saturday’s day session at Laver Cup. Stefanos Tsitsipas took out Nick Kyrgios, 6-3, 6-4, while Alexander Zverev edged John Isner, 7-6, 6-7, 10-5 to give the Europeans a 7-1 lead with two matches left to play on Saturday.
Saturday's two remaining matches are worth two points each, while all four of Sunday's matches will count for four points. Team Europe can clinch if they win the next three matches.
Here are some highlights from the day session:
Kyrgios Says it Might Be His Last Laver Cup
Nick Kyrgios said his 2021 season is effectively over after Laver Cup, and hinted that he likely won’t return to the event he cherishes so much, and that his days on tour are numbered.
“Definitely this is my last event of the year,” Kyrgios said after falling to Tsitsipas. “You know, I need to go back home. I have been traveling for four-and-a-half months now. My mum is not doing too well with her health. I'd like to go back and see her.”
The Aussie continued to say that he really isn’t sure how long he’ll play on the circuit.
“As long as I'm on the court, I will try and give my best, but I'm not going to lie and say that I'm going to plan to play four or five more years on tour,” Kyrgios said. “That's just not me.”
Tsitsipas Loves Rublev’s Sense of Humor
The Greek says that he is vibing off all of his Team Europe teammates, but adds that Russia's Andrey Rublev is far and away the funniest player on the team.
“The whole lineup is filled with great players who have been developing rivalries over the last couple of years,” Tsitsipas said. “Each one of them is unique in a way. I think, you know, Andrey, I honestly didn't expect him to be so funny. He's the funniest guy of the group. He hasn't stopped cracking jokes and just being entertaining, so it's really nice to see that and kind of discovering him in a different way.”
Isner's Heriocs Fall Just Short
Once again John Isner pulled off a magnificent second-set tiebreaker to force a match tiebreak, but on Saturday, Alexander Zverev was too good for the big American down the stretch as he pulled away with a critical victory to give Team Europe a 7-1 lead.
“To be honest, the second set that I lost, I didn't think I did much wrong,” Zverev said. “It was a very high-level match. To be honest, I'm very happy with this win, because it was definitely not an easy one."
Saturday's Night Session Schedule