The Laver Cup is back for Day 2 in San Francisco, and the stakes are getting higher as points are now worth two points per match.
Day 1 concluded with Team Europe taking a 3-1 lead, much thanks to Jakub Mensik winning both his singles match and the double with Carlos Alcaraz.
The Day Session kicks off with a singles clash between Team Europe’s Alexander Zverev and Team World’s Alex de Minaur, while the late game is a decent watch as well… World no 1 Carlos Alcaraz vs Taylor Fritz.
Zverev vs de Minaur
Alexander Zverev of Team Europe, a veteran of five Laver Cups, has been a key player in all their previous victories.
Alex de Minaur, a late replacement for an injured Frances Tiafoe, is making his return to the Laver Cup for Team World. While his overall Laver Cup record is limited, he’s had an excellent summer, highlighted by an ATP 500 title and a quarterfinal run at the US Open.
Their head-to-head record favors Zverev, who leads de Minaur 8-2 but the last few hard-court matches has been tough battles that has gone to deciding sets.
Preview and Betting Picks
For Team World, de Minaur will need to be at his absolute best, using his speed and defensive skills to frustrate Zverev and create opportunities. If Zverev can maintain his high-level form and keep his unforced error count low, he’s the favorite to secure the two points. This also shows in the tennis odds out at bookies.
I also feel these court conditions should suit the Germans better and I predict he will get this done in two sets for the Europeans.
Alcaraz vs Fritz
Carlos Alcaraz, the world No. 1 and a six-time Grand Slam champion, leads the head-to-head against Taylor Fritz 3-0 in ATP Tour-level matches. This includes a victory at last year’s Laver Cup and a dominant performance in the semifinals of this year’s Wimbledon.
Alcaraz enters the match in phenomenal form and if he’s at his best, there’s not one player stopping him. Fritz, however, is a Laver Cup veteran with a strong record in the competition, known for his ability to rise to the occasion in the team event.
Preview and Betting Picks
Fritz’s biggest weapon is his serve, and he’ll need to be firing on all cylinders to keep Alcaraz from getting into rallies. He is coming off a strong season, having reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon, so he’ll be feeling confident on the hard court even though I think these slow conditions will suit the Spaniard better.
If Fritz can maintain a high first-serve percentage and dictate many points with his powerful groundstrokes, he has a chance to pull off the upset. However, it will be tough to end points quickly here today and I expect Alcaraz to get the points here, just by playing on his general high level with a lot of variation in the game.
Bet on the games with good odds over at Betonline (US), 20Bet or at Stake (crypto).
