{"id":171038,"date":"2025-09-21T03:36:06","date_gmt":"2025-09-21T03:36:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/171038\/"},"modified":"2025-09-21T03:36:06","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T03:36:06","slug":"team-world-pulls-level-on-de-minaurs-gem-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/171038\/","title":{"rendered":"Team World Pulls Level On De Minaur\u2019s Gem | News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Team World pulled even with Team Europe at 3-3 on Saturday afternoon thanks to Alex De Minaur\u2019s clutch 6-1, 6-4 dismissal of Alexander Zverev in a battle of Top-10 performers at the Laver Cup in San Francisco.<\/p>\n

It marked only the Aussie\u2019s third win over his German foe in 11 career encounters. All three of those wins have come in team formats, at the ATP Cup, United Cup and, now, Laver Cup.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started pretty quickly,\u201d said De Minaur. \u201cI knew it was going to get harder, because he\u2019s a great competitor, he was going to make my life very difficult. But I\u2019m so proud of myself for how I was backing myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think today was more about me, to be very honest,\u201d said a disappointed Zverev, who landed 84 percent of his first serves. \u201cI just started off extremely bad. I was 4-0 down within a couple of minutes, so the first set was gone very, very quickly.\u00a0Then the second set, I was fighting, but I was just not playing well enough, just not doing enough to win this match.\u201d<\/p>\n

A six-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist, most recently at the US Open, De Minaur got out of the blocks in a hurry on Day 2, sprinting out to a 5-0 advantage with a pair of service breaks in the opening set. A frustrated Zverev would toss his racquet in disgust, but 31 minutes would go by before the 28-year-old was on the scoreboard.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese guys, they hit the ball so hard and so big. I\u2019ve got to find different ways to hurt them.\u201d \u2014 Alex De Minaur<\/p>\n

Zverev, who claimed his co-record third tournament title earlier this year on home turf in Munich, found some rhythm in the second set. But his opponent proved relentless. A massive forehand pass would set up a break point at 4-all, and De Minaur made good on the opportunity. A game later Team World and Team Europe were deadlocked at 3-3, sealed with a volley.<\/p>\n

The 26-year-old De Minaur showcased his all-court speed in the one-hour, 38-minute contest, winning 16 of 25 net points.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a part of my game that I\u2019ve definitely unlocked over the last two years,\u201d said De Minaur. \u201cIt\u2019s been a crucial part of me getting into the Top 10 and taking that next step in my career. I\u2019ve got to do more of it. These guys, they hit the ball so hard and so big. I\u2019ve got to find different ways to hurt them. That\u2019s part of my game style. I\u2019ve got the ability to use my speed not only to retrieve but also to sneak into the net. The more I do it, the more comfortable I feel, the more points I win, the more dangerous I become.\u201d<\/p>\n

The eighth-ranked De Minaur came into the match with an ATP-best 29 hard-court wins on the year, highlighted by his 10th career tour-level title in Washington. He is playing in his second Laver Cup after making his 2022 debut in London, where he defeated Andy Murray to help Team World to its first triumph over Team Europe.<\/p>\n

De Minaur says he doesn\u2019t get to wrapped up in the lopsided record against Zverev.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe thing about head-to-heads is that it happens over the course of a career,\u201d he said. \u201cI believe I\u2019ve been a very different player throughout my career.\u00a0When I was first starting on the tour and where I am now, I\u2019m completely two different players. So I don\u2019t look into those head-to-heads too much in that sense. I feel like I am capable of bringing this type of tennis and beating these type of players. I\u2019ve just got to show it more often.\u201d<\/p>\n

Currently No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Zverev became the first player to make six Laver Cup appearances. He has been part of all five Team Europe victories at this event, including in front of his home crowd in Berlin last year.<\/p>\n

De Minaur\u2019s countryman and Team World vice-captain Patrick Rafter said he heard from Team Europe skipper Yannick Noah directly after the match: \u201cHe looked at me and goes, \u2018This is how you can play tennis.\u2019 You just saw a guy who had the hands and the ability to manipulate the ball in different areas of the court,\u201d said Rafter. \u201cA little bit old-school.\u00a0We were just sort of shaking our heads going, \u2018These guys just don\u2019t get it that there are different ways of making things happen.\u2019 Alex\u00a0has the ability to do it, and I hope he can transition and use this further in his game.\u201d<\/p>\n

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