Casper Ruud Secures first points for Team Europe in Laver Cup victory

Casper Ruud defeated Tommy Paul 7-6(6), 6-2, securing the first points for Team Europe in the Laver Cup.

Casper Ruud arrived at the Laver Cup in decent form due to his recent results on the hardcourt swing. Despite entering as one of the favorites, he fell in the round of 16 at the Canadian Open and in the second round of the Cincinnati Open and the US Open.

With these results, Casper Ruud dropped from World No. 4 to World No. 9 in just a few weeks, and his place in the top 10 for the upcoming weeks is in jeopardy. He has also drifted away from contention for a spot in the ATP Finals, where he was the runner-up last year. To qualify, he will need to put together a strong run in the final weeks of the season.

On the other hand, Tommy Paul (13th) has been enjoying a great moment in his career. He reached the semifinals of the Canadian Open, surprising World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz along the way, although Alcaraz returned the favor in the following week's Cincinnati Open by defeating Paul in the round of 16.

Additionally, Paul reached the round of 16 at the US Open, losing to his compatriot Ben Shelton. These results elevated him to World No. 13, the highest ranking of his career, and he's steadily approaching the top 10.

The first break of the match favored Casper Ruud, who capitalized on his first opportunity in the fourth game and then held his serve to take a 4-1 lead. However, with things in his favor, Paul won 12 of the next 13 points, recovering the break and winning three consecutive games to level the set at 4-4.

The set extended to a tie-break, where Ruud overcame a set point against him and ultimately won the set 7-6(6).

In the second set, Ruud capitalized on the momentum and secured a break in the first game, quickly taking a 2-0 lead. Without facing any issues on his serve, Casper Ruud secured another break in the seventh game and closed out the match with his serve, winning the set 7-6(6), 6-2.

With the first matches of the day concluded, featuring victories by Fritz and Ruud, Team World leads 6-2 overall. In the night session, the singles match will open with Hubert Hurkacz (17th) facing Frances Tiafoe (11th), followed by the doubles match where Polish player Hurkacz will take the court again, this time alongside Gael Monfils, facing the duo of Felix Auger-Aliassime and Ben Shelton to close out the day.