By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, September 21, 2019
Spurred on by home fans, Roger Federer rallied past Nick Kyrgios, 6-7(5), 7-5, 10-7 in a thriller lifting Team Europe to a 5-3 Laver Cup lead vs. Team World.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy
A dramatic duel escalated as Roger Federer and Nick Kyrgios went nose-to-nose at net in a rapid-fire exchange.
Geneva fans chanted the Swiss’ superstar’s name and Federer answered the call streaming forward.
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Elevating in the final tie break, Federer battled by Kyrgios 6-7 (5), 7-5, 10-7 in an electric rematch that lifted Team World to a 5-3 lead over Team Europe on Day 2 of Laver Cup and gave the former Basel ball boy goosebumps.
"Today was something nice, very special for me," Federer said of the rousing home reception. "(I) don't take them for granted. I would have retired a long time ago, I wouldn't have this this moment right now today, so it was worth it maybe because of a moment like this also to stay on the tour and give myself chances to maybe experience something like this or win tournaments.
"I mean, I had goosebumps during the game. I can't deny that. I'm not immune to it. I'm just very happy that I get to feel this in my home country. It's special."
This highly-hyped rematch of the 2017 Laver Cup climax at Prague’s O2 Arena lived up to its billing before a roaring crowd of Fed fans at the Palexpo.
"I need some ear plugs next time," Federer told Sam Smith afterward in appreciation of the fan support. "It was just phenomenal. So thanks very much for pushing me over the line."
In Prague, Federer fought off match points pulling out some pulsating shot-making in a 4-6, 7-6(6), 11-9 triumph.
Fired up for this rematch, Kyrgios came within four points of knocking Federer out on his home turf.
Ultimately, the Grand Slam king responded with stirring stretch sparked by that stab volley that gave me a 3-2 lead in the match tie break.
An entertaining rematch saw fans erupt in the wave, Kyrgios attempt the SABR against Federer, a pumped-up World captain John McEnroe exhort the Aussie saying “you’re in his head!” and 19-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal come off the bench to continuously feed Federer tactical and motivational advice down the stretch.
"I really enjoy his clarity in his advice," Federer said of Nadal's coaching. "It reminded me very much and the match was extremely similar to the one in Prague against Nick. It was a struggle from the baseline trying to find the right balance of how aggressive to play and whatnot.
"What I really enjoy with Rafa is just that we very often align, our ideas align. And obviously when it comes to rally points, he's excellent. You know, he knows how much is enough and how much is too much. He's a great problem/solution-finder, how to get through that."
After this action-packed clash wouldn’t it be great if Laver Cup added a new rule: Federer must play Kyrgios at every Laver Cup forever.
"Going toe to toe with the best to do it is pretty special, especially to do it in his home arena," Kyrgios said. "To go out there again and compete in front of both the McEnroe brothers, my team, going out there and laying it on the line, I thought it was an amazing match. But again, obviously I would have loved to have won, but it just wasn't to be today."
Earlier, American No. 1 John Isner rallied past ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev, 6-7, 6-4, 10-1, to pull Team World even at 3-all.
“For 85 percent of the match, Sascha was, in my opinion, the better player,” Isner said. “I was just holding serve and I was making no inroads on his serve. That was clear to see.
“Finally I had a little bit of a chance at 4-All and I definitely got lucky, no doubt about that, to break. From there I had a lot of momentum. That freed me up, because I was tight and I couldn't get free. Of course I was holding serve. That's what I do. I don't get nervous on my serve or tight and intense. But once I was able to win that second set 6-4, I felt great. I did feel like I had the momentum, and I think that showed.”
Once the Georgia bulldog dragged Zverev into the final breaker, Isner proceeded to tear his former practice partner apart streaking through seven straight points in what he called “the best tiebreak match tiebreak I have probably ever played.”
This third Laver Cup clash between the Grand Slam king and tennis’ bad boy began with Vogue Magazine editor and fierce Federer loyalist Anna Wintour conducting the opening coin toss—and Kyrgios looked surprised when Wintour, sporting signature sunglasses indoors, asked him to call the toss.
Both men approach service games as if playing speed chess and both breezed at the outset.
In the fourth game, the Swiss successfully tested Kyrgios’ backhand volley with a dipping pass earning two break points. Kyrgios clubbed a forehand to save the first but missed the mark on a mid-court inside-out forehand as Federer drew first blood, breaking for 3-1.
Undeterred, Kyrgios spun a forehand into the corner and broke right back when Federer flew a forehand wide.
A “Let’s Go Roger! Let’s Go!” chant erupted from fans in the 10th game. Kyrgios quieted fans firing a 140 mph ace followed by a firm “come on!” Kyrgios capped the longest exchange of the match rifling his two-hander down the line leaving Federer flailing at air as the Aussie leveled at 5-all.
The third-ranked Swiss had won five of nine prior tie breaks vs. Kyrgios and exploited the Aussie’s first double fault of the day in charging to a 4-0 lead in the breaker.
At that point, Federer, one of the premier closers, looked poised to close the set.
The man in red had other ideas.
As Federer lost form, Kyrgios picked up the intensity streaming through four straight points.
Luring Federer forward with a forehand drop shot, Kyrgios slid a forehand pass down the line for 5-all. A biting serve caught the very back edge of the service line giving Kyrgios a set point.
Federer forced the issue moving forward, but Kyrgios had an answer whipping a forehand down the line to snatch a set that seemed out of reach when he was down a double mini-break.
In past meetings, Federer befuddled Kyrgios at times with the short chip backhand. Through a set and a half today, Kyrgios was winning most of the longer points as Federer tried to gain traction in the Aussie’s service game.
The 24-year-old Kyrgios saved a break point holding for a 2-1 second-set lead. Kyrgios saved five of seven break points in the match, including digging out of a triple break point hole to claw back to deuce. But Federer would not be denied converting his fifth break point of the set for a 6-5 lead.
Federer fired his eighth ace for triple set point and kicked a serve wide sealing the second set with a love hold.
For the 11th time in the 20 sets they've played against each other, the pair went to a tie break.
Kyrgios has a habit of opting for the forehand dropper rather than hamming his forehand when pouncing on a short ball. Federer read the drop shot, streaked up to the ball and won a nose-to-nose net duel prompting a roar from the crowd and big handshake from captain Bjorn Borg.
That shot changed the tenor of the tie break. Kyrgios slammed his Yonex racquet to the court in frustration dislodging the dampener after Federer curled a crosscourt forehand for 4-2.
Slashing an ace down the middle, Federer opened a 7-3 lead.
Credit Kyrgios for saving two match points. On the third Federer coaxed an errant forehand remaining undefeated in Laver Cup singles play and raising his record to 6-1 lifetime vs. Kyrgios.