Laver Cup: Roger Federer - "I was happy for Rafa"
It's done in less than 24 hours. The third chapter of the Laver Cup begins in Geneva. After the premiere in Prague and the first event in the United States in Chicago last year, it's Team Europe versus Team World again this weekend.
by Florian Heer
last edit: Sep 19, 2019, 06:28 pm
By Florian Heer from Geneva
On Thursday, the actors presented themselves to the press in the Palexpo Arena, which is located right next to the airport. It was the namesake of the event, who personally welcomed the journalists present to the official Media Day. Rod Laver addressed the international correspondents with a few warm words before the actual press conferences of the two teams began.
Nadal and Federer: United rivals
The rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal is one of the defining issues these days. The Spaniard caught up on a record Grand Slam champion Federer by winning his 19th major trophy at this year's US Open. Here in Geneva, the two sit together on the podium.
"That is the only topic we are both talking about," joked Federer when asked about the race for the top position in the Grand Slams, but made it clear in the same breath: "It does not cause any conversation between us. At most behind our backs. "
Federer, known as the gentleman of the tennis scene, was sporty as usual. “I was happy for Rafa when he won in New York. This was the case with all of his other title wins. I have the greatest respect for his performance. In addition, you don't have it in your hand as long as you don't face your opponent on the pitch yourself and can thus defeat it. ”It is primarily“ to have the best possible career for yourself, ”said Federer.
From Nadal's point of view, this was not yet an issue when the two superstars met again in western Switzerland. "I don't go to bed thinking about a certain number of titles every night," revealed Nadal. “Furthermore, tennis is not just about the Grand Slams. I try my best in every event and today it's about the Laver Cup. ”
Thiem and Shapovalov open
The world ranking second from Mallorca will still be allowed to pause on the opening day. Dominic Thiem and Denis Shapovalov will be the first pair to enter the ring, followed by Fabio Fognini and Jack Sock. Stefanos Tsitispas and Taylor Fritz, as well as the double with Alexander Zverev alongside Roger Federer and Shapovalov with Fritz, round off the action on Friday.
Team World with confidence
What does Team World have to offer against the 39 Grand Slam victories of the top players from Europe? "The chemistry in our team is better," Nick Kyrgios put on record and made the journalists smile. In general, the subsequent appearance of the representatives from the "rest of the world" can be described as quite casual. Again and again you could see happy, smiling faces.
"It's a great week full of fun," said Shapovalov, looking forward to his efforts. “I hope to win the first point and win the ball by winning against Dominic. This is not going to be easy, but we played against each other in Montreal and it was a tough match over three sets. ”
However, colleague Kyrgios has no doubt about the competitiveness of his team. "I'm not afraid of the others. I have already defeated everyone, ”the Australian said confidently. “In addition, some of my teammates have already won against them. We may be the outsiders on paper, but I personally don't think so. I firmly believe that we can win. ”To keep the tension up until Sunday, these statements certainly cannot hurt.