Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will team up on Day 1 of the Laver Cup. (Souce: AP File)
The second edition of the Laver Cup will be played over the weekend – just a week after the Davis Cup semifinals were played to decide finalists in France and Croatia. The top players in the world (bar a few) are already in the ‘Windy City’ to play the tournament which is named after legendary Rod Laver. Following is the breakdown of what the team tournament is all about (where coaching is allowed, just as an added information…)
What is the Laver Cup?
Laver Cup is tennis’ equivalent of golf’s Ryder Cup where Team Europe takes on Team World World. It is different from other team format in tennis – Davis Cup – where countries compete against the other instead of continents in the Laver Cup. Laver Cup is played across five sessions (afternoon and evening Friday and Saturday plus Sunday afternoon) with a total of 12 matches — 13 if needed to break a tie.
What are the teams in the Laver Cup?
Last year, the highlight was Roger Federer (one of the key figures behind the event) teaming up with Rafael Nadal. This year, however, the Spaniard is missing due to a knee injury. Also missing from the field is Juan Martin Del Potro for a second year running. The teams for the event are:
Everyone’s favourite part of #LaverCup Opening Night – the player introductions. First up @DjokerNole great rival turned teammate, @rogerfederer. pic.twitter.com/Iy015nK8V2
— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) 21 September 2018
Team Europe: Roger Federer, Alexander Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov, Novak Djokovic, David Goffin and Kyle Edmund
Team World: Kevin Anderson, John Isner, Diego Schwartzman, Jack Sock, Nick Kyrgios, Frances Tiafoe
What is the schedule for the Laver Cup?
Day 1 at the Laver Cup:
Afternoon session: Grigor Dimitrov vs Frances Tiafoe, Kyle Edmund vs Jack Sock
Night session: David Goffin vs Diego Schwartzman, Novak Djokovic/Roger Federer vs Kevin Anderson/Jack Sock
“I think I will take the deuce side, if Novak is OK with that,” Federer said talking about the doubles pairing. “I think I’m OK on the backhand,” Djokovic replied.
Where will the Laver Cup be broadcast in India?
Laver Cup will be broadcast on D Sport in India with the Afternoon session getting underway at 11 PM IST (1 PM local) and the evening session at 5.30 AM IST on Saturday (7 PM local on Friday).