Tennis news - Roger Federer-Novak Djokovic doubles dream team defeated at Laver Cup

ByCarrie Dunn

Updated 22/09/2018 at 09:09 GMT

Team Europe took a commanding 3-1 lead over Team World in the Laver Cup on Friday, despite seeing their high-profile doubles pairing of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic suffer the defending champions' only defeat of the first day in Chicago on Friday.

Jack Sock and Kevin Anderson combined to deliver the sole triumph for their side, overcoming the world's second and third ranked singles players 6-7(5) 6-3 (10-6) to prevent an opening day shutout for Team Europe.

All eyes were fixed on longtime rivals Federer and Djokovic as they took the court for the final match, combining forces to play together for the first time after Team Europe had swept the first three singles matches.

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The early chemistry took time to develop for both players, and Djokovic accidentally hit Federer on the back of the head during the third game, but the star-studded duo proved strong enough to claim the first set in a tiebreak.

Sock and Anderson found their rhythm in the second set, blasting five of their eight aces to level the contest, before the pair took advantage of a Federer double fault at 4-4 in the 10-point match tiebreaker and held on for a critical triumph.

Europe had earlier built their advantage on singles victories for Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, Briton Kyle Edmund and Belgian David Goffin.

The day session started with Dimitrov beating Frances Tiafoe 6-1, 6-4. The Bulgarian was by far the quickest out of the blocks, taking the first set in 25 minutes.

Grigor Dimitrov and Frances Tiafoe pose with Rod Laver and the trophy

Image credit: Getty Images

The 20-year-old American put up more of a battle in the second set, but the former World No.3 benefited from his experience, and took the second set as well.

British No.1 Kyle Edmund found himself in a much tighter encounter with American Jack Sock, which went with serve for the opening nine games of the first set.

Then Edmund broke the Sock serve in the tenth to edge to a 6-4 first-set lead.

Kyle Edmund against Jack Sock at the Laver Cup

Image credit: Getty Images

The second set was a similarly cagey affair, going with serve for the first ten games - then Sock broke Edmund, who was playing his first match since his US Open defeat to Paolo Lorenzi, and held his own to take it 7-5 and force a third-set tie-break.

It was at that point that the American began to crumble, with four unforced errors creeping in before the second change of ends, allowing his opponent an 8-4 advantage in the best-of-ten decider.

Edmund did not let that slip, running out the 10-6 winner in the third.

Schwartzman battled back from a 5-1 deficit in the deciding tiebreaker to level at 7-7 before Goffin pulled clear.

"It was an amazing atmosphere," Goffin said. "I had to stay focused."

Day Two will feature three more singles clashes, including Federer v Nick Kyrgios, and an additional doubles match, with two points on offer for any victory.

Sunday's four matches are worth three points apiece with the first team to reach 13 points crowned champions after Europe claimed last year's inaugural event by a 15-9 margin in Prague.

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