Laver Cup: Jack Sock and Feli Lopez as super jokers?
For the first day of the Laver Cup, John McEnroe and Björn Borg used "officially" nominated players. If things get hairy at the back, Feliciano Lopez and Jack Sock could also play a role.
by Jens Huiber
last edit:
Sep 24, 2021, 11:32 am
The advance of Anglicisms into German usage is as unstoppable as an inside-out forehand struck by Rafael Nadal in Roland Garros, luckily at least a few words have made their way in the other direction of the pond. A particularly nice example of this is the "doppelganger", which the Americans have turned into a "doppelganger" in the absence of umlauts.
Anyone who has seen the pictures of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Feliciano Lopez's visit to Harvard University does not have to look any further for examples of duplicates. Jeans, flowing hair, Laver Cup jacket - fits. Now the tasks for Tsitsipas at the Laver Cup 2021 are clearly defined, even if the Greek will not be used on Friday. Tsitsipas is one of six European players who, you might say so, feel much more comfortable in individual skating than in pair skating.
Sock and Kyrgios inseparable
The role of Doppelgaenger Lopez, on the other hand, invites speculation. Does the Spaniard, who turned 40 just a few days ago, have something like the second co-captain alongside Thomas Enqvist? Or maybe Feli is waiting for a job in doubles after all? There the veteran already has a Grand Slam title on his balance sheet (2016 in Paris with Marc Lopez), a little more than two years ago he won the tournament at the Queen's Club in London with Andy Murray.
With Jack Sock and Nick Kyrgios, however, there is no risk of confusion. Rather, that the Aussie and the American will not be able to cope emotionally with the separation after the Laver Cup is over. Sock and Kyrgios, that was a terrific team two years ago, it would be almost negligent if John McEnroe didn't do without his compatriot, who was slowly getting back into shape.
Zverev trains with Berrettini
In doubles, Jack Sock is beyond reproach and is clearly the best player to put on his jersey in the Boston Garden. Sock won Wimbledon in 2014 with Vasek Pospisil and confirmed this triumph four years later with Mike Bryan. And the victories at the US Open and the ATP Finals are also included. The 28-year-old recently showed that he can be expected again in the individual with a brilliant first set against Alexander Zverev at the US Open.
That, in turn, will actually be used on Friday, in the last match of the day alongside Matteo Berrettini . With whom he also completed a training session on Thursday evening. The two men who faced Zverev and Berrettini on the other side of the network were particularly noteworthy: Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Not best friends on the ATP tour. But the magic of the still young Laver Cup also seems to be at work in Boston.
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