Ruud and Zverev give Europe 7-5 Laver Cup lead with doubles win

Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev restored Team Europe’s Laver Cup lead with a 6-4, 7-6 (7) doubles victory over Alexander Bublik and Brandon Nakashima in London on Saturday. The result left Europe 7-5 ahead of Team World at the end of the second day, according to the tournament’s official results and reporting by The Guardian.

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The doubles match lasted one hour and 35 minutes and delivered two points to Europe. Ruud and Zverev took the opening set before winning the second-set tie-break 9-7, completing the victory without needing a deciding match tie-break. Their success broke a 5-5 overall tie after Carlos Alcaraz had brought Europe level earlier in the evening.

The official point-by-point record shows how closely the final stages were contested. Ruud held serve to send the second set into a tie-break, where Bublik and Nakashima moved 7-6 ahead. The European pair then won three successive points to close out the match. Zverev had also finished the opening set on serve, sealing it with an ace.

Europe’s evening recovery followed two afternoon defeats that had overturned their 3-1 overnight advantage. Learner Tien beat Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 2-6, 10-7 in Saturday’s opening match, before Alex de Minaur recovered to defeat Zverev 2-6, 7-6 (5), 11-9. With each Saturday victory worth two points, those results moved World into a 5-3 lead and left Europe needing a response.

The Guardian reported that De Minaur’s comeback came after Zverev had served for the match at 6-2, 5-4. The Australian later saved a match point at 8-9 in the deciding tie-break. Alcaraz then produced a comeback of his own against Taylor Fritz, saving two match points before winning 6-3, 4-6, 13-11 to make the overall score 5-5 and set up the doubles decider for the day’s lead.

Ruud and Zverev’s win meant the teams shared Saturday’s four matches, each collecting four points, despite the changes in the overall lead. Europe therefore finished with the same two-point cushion they had held overnight. The competition remained unresolved: the official tournament website lists 13 points as the total required for victory, leaving neither side across the finishing line.