Rafael Nadal had a chance to compete at the inaugural Laver Cup in Prague 2017. The Spaniard stepped on the court on an opening day alongside Tomas Berdych, as Team Europe faced Jack Sock and Nick Kyrgios in a thrilling clash.
Team World prevailed 6-3, 6-7, 10-7 in an hour and 48 minutes and delivered their first Laver Cup victory after three singles losses. Nick and Jack fired 12 aces and claimed eight points more than their rivals. Rafa and Tomas failed to break their opponents, but they stayed competitive after the opening set to give the crowd something to cheer about.
Kyrgios served first and held at love for early momentum. Sock added another fine hold at 1-1, and Nadal locked the result at 2-2 a few minutes later. Team World broke Berdych’s serve in the sixth game when Kyrgios cracked a backhand down the line winner that sent them 4-2 ahead.
Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych lost at the 2017 Laver Cup in Prague.
Jack saved a break point in game seven with a booming serve and pushed his squad 5-2 up with an ace down the T line. Rafa grabbed the eighth game to prolong the set before Jack wrapped it up with a beautiful volley winner in the next one for 6-3 in 31 minutes.
Nadal held after deuce at 1-1 in the second set, and he and Tomas earned two break points in the next one. Sock clinched four straight points to get out of jail and level the score at 2-2. Nick served to prolong the set at 4-5 and fired a service winner toward Tomas to bring the result to 5-5.
Both teams served well in games 11 and 12 to introduce a tie break. Nadal pushed Team Europe 4-2 up with a crafty volley at the net before Kyrgios landed a return winner to reduce the deficit to 5-4. Rafa reacted well at the net in the tenth point for 6-4, and their rivals saved both set points for 6-6.
Nadal and Berdych grabbed another mini-break, and the home player stroke a service winner to take the breaker 9-7. Nick leveled the score at 4-4 with a service winner in the match tie break and landed a forehand down the line winner in the next one for the advantage.
Jack blasted a forehand return winner for 6-4 before the Europeans climbed back to 6-6. Tomas sprayed a volley error at the net in the 15th point to fall 8-7 behind and send a boost to the other side. Nick landed a service winner for 9-7 and two match points and sealed the deal with an ace down the T line for a massive celebration.
