Ben Shelton puts Team World on brink of Laver Cup 2024 triumph

America’s Ben Shelton has once again gave the initiative back to Team World as he secured a crucial win against Russia’s Daniil Medvedev. The two-team competition is set to be concluded on Sunday where some of the best players in men’s tennis are currently taking part.

In the second contest of the day, America’s Shelton put the Team World back in charge of the competition as he defeated the current world number five Medvedev with a score of 6-7, 7-5, 10-7. The young American tennis star was extremely aggressive throughout the game as he won 39 net points, 24 more than his Russian opponent. The 21-year-old was also clinical when it came to producing winners. He registered 27 of them, 13 more than Medvedev.

The win was an important one as, at the start of the day, Team World needed to win two out of four matches to clinch the title for the third consecutive time. On the other hand, team Europe had to win three out of four matches to win the title for the fifth time. Earlier in the day in the first contest, it was Team Europe who secured a much-needed win as the pair of Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Norway’s Casper Ruud managed to overcome America’s pair of Shelton and Frances Tiafoe in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 7-6.

After this encounter, the equation is a very simple one. Team World have to win one out of two, whereas Team Europe now have to win their remaining matches. The next match is going to be between world number two Germany’s Alexander Zverev who will be facing America’s Tiafoe. It will be the ninth meeting between the two. In the previous eight meetings, the current world number two has a clear edge with eight wins. The last contest of the competition is poised to be a mouthwatering one as it will feature the US Open 2024 runner-up, Taylor Fritz, going up against the current world number three, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz. It will only be the second meeting between the two in professional tennis.