By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, February 8, 2024
A house hero goals to deliver blue enhance to Berlin.
German No. 1 Alexander Zverev and former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev will be a part of Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz on Workforce Europe for the 2024 Laver Cup on the Mercedes-Benz Enviornment in Berlin September 20-Twenty second.
Workforce Europe captain Bjorn Borg named Medvedev an Zverev to the squad in the present day, becoming a member of Alcaraz who might be making his Laver Cup debut in Berlin.
“Workforce Europe is tremendous motivated to win again the Cup in Berlin,” Borg stated. “With Daniil, Sascha and Carlos on my workforce, I feel now we have a good chance of creating that occur.
“The blokes have had an unimaginable begin to the 12 months, and it is a actually sturdy first half of our lineup. I’m thrilled to have these champions within the fold for 2024.”
Zverev, who defeated Alcaraz in final month’s Australian Open quarterfinals, received the Olympic gold medal for Germany on the Tokyo Olympic Video games. Medvedev roared again from a two-set deficit to topple Zverev within the Australian Open semifinals en path to his third AO ultimate.
This might be Zverev’s fifth Laver Cup look.
The German-born Zverev has performed on 4 Workforce Europe championship squads and goals to assist the blues reclaim the Cup in Berlin.
“I’m so enthusiastic about returning to Laver Cup,” stated Zverev. “The environment is all the time electrical and for the Laver Cup to be at residence in Germany, for me specifically, goes to be a once-in-a-lifetime expertise.
“Workforce World has received the final two Laver Cups so we’re extremely motivated to deliver the Cup again to Europe and hopefully, with the help of the native followers, we are able to do it on residence soil.”
Corridor of Famer John McEnroe has led Workforce World to 2 successive Laver Cup championships in London in 2022 and final September when World dominated in Vancouver.
“They wish to win this one badly,” McEnroe advised the Laver Cup web site. “However guess what? So can we. That is going to be one of many greatest showdowns in tennis this 12 months.”
Every workforce consists of six gamers, who should all compete in a single singles match in the course of the first two days, and not more than two in the course of the three-day competitors. No less than 4 of the six gamers should play doubles. Every match win is price one level on Friday, two factors on Saturday, and three factors on Sunday, with the primary workforce to achieve 13 factors profitable the Laver Cup.
Zverev stated he is pumped for first ball and to recapture the Cup earlier than residence followers.
“Usually we play in opposition to one another all 12 months lengthy, so having us come collectively on the identical workforce, teaching, and serving to each other is admittedly uncommon,” Zverev stated. “For a change we’re all chasing the identical aim collectively, we’re making an attempt to win the Laver Cup and I feel that alone could be very particular.”
Photograph credit score: Laver Cup