Laver Cup chaos as Alexander Zverev and Alex de Minaur left confused after bizarre let call headlines dramatic finish

The Laver Cup may come across as a friendly and light-hearted exhibition to many, but that is obviously not the case when the players step onto the court. This was showcased with some late drama between Alexander Zverev and Alex de Minaur as the Aussie briefly got Team World back into contention.

There was an incident right at the end of the match which got everyone confused. It seemed to be going Zverev's way as he tocked off five games in a row to lead the first set 5-1. De Minaur ended the rut but was only a passenger as Zverev took the first set before backing that up with another break of serve.

This time, de Minaur was able to respond. These two were the highest-ranked players on either team, and for the time being it showcased how strong Team Europe's pool of players is.

Zverev sealed another break with the two-time Grand Slam champion eventually getting the chance to serve it out. No match points would come as de Minaur staged what would be an incredible comeback. The second set culminated with a tiebreak, in which de Minaur won 7-4 with a third set point, forcing another 10-point tiebreak.

These have been very common in this Laver Cup, especially when you compare it to last year when only one was played out. The tension was immense between both players, and it did not help when the umpire called a contentious let, conjuring up boos around the O2.

There was obvious confusion between both camps as Zverev and de Minuar tried to figure out what was happening at this crucial time in the match. While the ball had not clipped the net, the umpire cleared up that the scoreboard had ticked over, giving an extra point before it was rewarded by the umpire.

This may have messed with the rhythm of the German, who missed a match point as de Minaur completed the terrific comeback, winning 2-6, 7-6(4), [11-9]. It ended with a brilliant rally between the two players followed by a frosty handshake. Zverev looked utterly displeased, furious to have thrown the match away after he was in total control in numerous stages.

However, he would have a smile on his face by the end of the night as Carlos Alcaraz saved a match point against Taylor Fritz before Zverev redeemed himself alongside Rudd in the doubles against Alexander Bublik and Brandon Nakashima to give Team Europe a tight 7-5 lead heading into day three, with each win earning the teams three points.

De Minaur was on hand to comment on the let call after the match following some pumped celebrations with team captain Andre Agassi. "I mean, my opinion on the let call is it's a let call, right? The rules are the rules," he said.

"So they called it a let call because the screen went... So the rules are you've got to play two, but obviously I would have loved to play that point with a second serve instead of giving him another first serve. It was unfortunate, but I tried to do my best for it not to rattle me and kind of stay in the moment, and I managed to pick the right way, and it ended up working out. So happy days. If it hadn't worked out, then maybe I would have a different opinion on it."

He looked back on the contest, admitting the situation was not great at times but always keeping a level head. "I really felt like my back was against the wall and the situation was looking very grim. Sascha came out firing, playing at an extremely high level and striking the ball with tremendous pace off both wings. I was struggling to find a way to hurt him.”

He used the advice from Agassi and his team to get over the line. “The advice and game plan were to try to get into the match however I could and to vary as much as possible. I managed to get more returns in play, changed my positioning on returns, and gave him different looks. Gradually, I got into the match, and when my opportunities came, I was able to seize them.”

Both players will be back on court for day three which will start off with a doubles match between Flavio Cobollo / Jakub Mensik and Fritz / de Minaur. Zverev would then return to the court to play Learner Tien while de Minaur has to contend with Alcaraz. The final match between Rafael Jodar and Fritz could be crucial with the first team to 13 points winning the event.