Carlos Alcaraz won his first match at the Laver Cup, beating Ben Shelton to tie the score in Berlin once again.
These two are some of the most electric tennis players on the ATP Tour right now, and both are true competitors, which meant that neither wanted to lose this match
The American would certainly love to get a win in Berlin, and Alcaraz needed to win. As Daniil Medvedev lost to Frances Tiafoe earlier today, this became a must-win match for Team Europe.
The conditions certainly favored Alcaraz more, as the court plays relatively slow—so slow that Team World had some complaints about that. Still, Shelton didn't give up easily, as his massive serve was enough to do some proper damage in this match, and early on, it did.
The American got out of a complicated first service game and looked really comfortable. The Spaniard didn't look too uncomfortable either, but it would never be an easy match for him, and he was expected to turn it up as the match progressed.
Alcaraz found break points first, in the fifth game. Shelton then had break points on Alcaraz's serve, but much like the American, the Spaniard also held from 15-40 down. It was a competitive match with a decent level from both players.
Shelton saved both of his opponent's break points with a combination of powerful serves and smart baseline play. It was getting clear, though, who would likely dominate in the coming games, as the Spaniard kept applying more and more pressure.
The tremendous pressure Alcaraz was applying ultimately yielded some results, as he broke first and jumped out to a 5-3 lead. Alcaraz nearly won the set 6-3, but Shelton held his serve; however, no break came, so the set still concluded 6-4 for the Spaniard.
The second set opened immediately with an early break, and that was all Alcaraz needed. It was paramount to start the second set on a high note so that the American couldn't get back into the match.
Once the Team Europe player took that 2-0 lead, everything became a bit easier. Shelton was applying heavy pressure and trying everything he could to turn around the match, but it wasn't happening.
Alcaraz was doing just enough on his serve to keep the American at bay, and generally, Shelton isn't quite on the level to challenge the four-time major winner, yet. His potential is tremendous, and he'll likely be in the Top 5 in no time, but against one of the best, he simply didn’t deliver in the moment that he needed to, even though he had chances.
Alcaraz, for the most part, demonstrated a smart approach, doing just enough to win the match. It was a much-needed win for him after the past month when he struggled immensely.
Overall, it was a solid 6-4, 6-4 win for the Spaniard, who gets Europe back on equal footing. It's 4-4 on Day Two of the Laver Cup.