Competition for Federer, Thiem & Co! Shapovalov, Auger-Aliassime and Schwartzman for Team World for the Laver Cup
As the organizers of the Laver Cup announced on Wednesday, the three best-ranked players outside of Europe will serve for Team World.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Jul 21, 2021, 03:21 pm
Just last week, the organizers of the Laver Cup were able to present an extremely prominent newcomer - Team Europe, led by Björn Borg, secured the services of Italian Matteo Berrettini, who is the third player after Dominic Thiem and Roger Federer to have confirmed his commitment to the show fight in the Autumn has given.
Now Team World, which will compete against Messrs Thiem, Federer & Co in the TD Garden in Boston, has a number of prominent newcomers. With Denis Shapovalov, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Diego Schwartzman, the three best-placed players outside of Europe will serve for the troupe under the aegis of John McEnroe.
Shapovalov: "An honor"
Denis Shapovalov already has experience at the Laver Cup and is already looking forward to the special event: "I have great memories of both Prague and Geneva a few years ago. It was a lot of fun to be on the team with guys that I normally do face to face on the net and of course to have McEnroe as our team leader - that's such an honor. It will definitely be a tough challenge for us, but I really believe that if we all work together and play our best tennis, we have a great chance. "
His compatriot, Felix Auger-Aliassme, is only five places behind Shapovalov in the world rankings and is currently 15th. For the youngster it is the premiere in the show fight: "I feel so privileged, Team World at the Laver Cup this year to represent ", said the 20-year-old. “To be able to play in front of a full house in a place like TD Garden is going to be just amazing. I'm also excited to have a legend like John McEnroe in my corner - I'm sure I can do a lot will learn! "
Team World for first victory
Also there is the Argentinean Diego Schwartzman, who is currently at number 13 on the ATP charts. Above all, the 28-year-old emphasizes the great atmosphere at the events: "Playing in front of a full stadium at the United Center in Chicago was simply incredible in 2018. After the year we all had, I can only imagine how the atmosphere in front of a full home crowd at TD Garden will be - that will be incredible. "
With the three men, Team World is attacking in the fourth attempt for the first victory in the show fight between the tennis power Europe and the rest of the world. Team captain McEnroe is also aiming for this: "We were so close to winning in Geneva, it hurt. It's a defeat that we will remember for a long time. We know it won't be easy, team Beating Europe, but I think our chances are good. All three players - Denis, Felix and Diego - work hard, have beaten the best and are at the forefront of the sport, their records and placements are proof of that. "