While Team World is now one step away from final victory, an edition without appeal is gaining interest for off-field reasons
As was widely expected on the eve of the match, given the lack of super stars on the pitch, the Laver Cup is making headlines for reasons that have little to do with tennis. Nothing wrong, we are still talking about an exhibition, but the general interest in the competition was already at an all-time low before the start, now after two days the absolute domination of Team World, leading 10-2 over Team Europe, has eliminated any competitive discussion.
the controversies
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Therefore, what takes center stage is the extra field, the pure spectacle, entertainment and, unexpectedly, also the controversies. Like the one between Felix Auger Aliassime and Gael Monfils, which was especially popular on social media. During the match, won 6-4 6-3 by the Canadian, the two argued twice in the middle of the first set, with Auger-Aliassime complaining (strange and nervous, given the climate, to be honest).
what happened
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The problem? Monfils wasted too much time between one change of court and another, perhaps thinking that the stringent ATP rules did not apply on this occasion. The Frenchman, who is not shy, was surprised by the complaints and pointed out to the former top ten player that there was no need to do so, but little by little the words became more weighty and a discussion arose, with the captains McEnroe and Borg amused and nostalgic, thinking back to their times where this type of thing was much more frequent. Discussions, however, those between Monfils and Auger-Aliassime, went on for several minutes and even during field changes, with long-distance bickering, so much so that in the end both the captains and the teammates, almost embarrassed, thought it was too much, saying clearly for the two to end it.
the answers
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“We are here to compete, but also to have fun. Clearly while playing things get tense, these are field things. And on the pitch you want to win. Because only one achieves victory. You do your best to stay calm, but you also have to defend yourself,” explained the Canadian. Monfils’ response was more “articulated”, posted on social media with a very long post: “I am tired of these incessant and useless controversies. There are those who seem to get excited about trifles. I’m annoyed by people who make hasty judgments. Some might think that because I smile and have fun, I’m not serious. At 37 I try to make the most of every moment. When I was asked to participate in the Laver Cup I was honoured. With my current ranking, outside the top 100 at this age, I thought it was a joke. But I take this opportunity very seriously, for the event, for my team and above all for myself – wrote the Frenchman -. Things got a little heated at one point. I was just talking to the referees, about what rules I was applying, I guess, between the rules that we’re used to in tournaments or different rules. I played this tournament and I think everyone involved believed that the Laver Cup was a tournament that I think has the potential to be taken very seriously, not just now but in the future, so we’re taking it seriously.”
off the field
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Speaking of off-court, there was also an exchange between the “host”, Roger Federer, who in a question and answer session was surprised to have Rafa Nadal connected. “Who was the best doubles partner of your life,” the Spaniard asked amusedly. “I thought she was my wife, but then you arrived,” the Swiss replied laughing, closing the curtain.
the results
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Returning to the court for a moment, the second day ended with Team World winning two singles (the first and the third) with Taylor Fritz (6-2 7-6 over Andrey Rublev) and Frances Tiafoe (7-5 6 -3 on Hubert Hurkacz) and the double with Felix Auger-Aliassime and Ben Shelton (7-5 6-4 on Hurkacz and Monfils). The flag point for Team Europe was brought by Casper Ruud who beat Tommy Paul 7-6 6-2 in the second singles. McEnroe’s team just needs another 3 points to win the competition.
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