Alex de Minaur achieved a stunning victory over US Open champion Alexander Zverev, winning in a match deciding tiebreak 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 11-9, as Team Europe leads Team World 7-5 going into the final day of the Laver Cup at London’s O2 Arena. This marks de Minaur's second consecutive win over Zverev, who also claimed victory at Roland Garros this year. De Minaur has maintained a perfect singles record in the event, with four wins in three appearances.
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Having led Team World in a Davis Cup victory against Poland the previous week, de Minaur played with determination, even drawing blood from his knee after a diving volley during the match tiebreak. He humorously noted, "If you can notice, my blood is red as well." He expressed satisfaction in contributing points to his team, stating, "It was a very tough match. A tough battle. I left it all out there and got fortunate in the end to get the job done."
Looking ahead to the final day, de Minaur faces a challenge against Carlos Alcaraz, who saved two match points to secure a win over American Taylor Fritz. Despite the tough matchup, de Minaur remains hopeful. "We were in the same position last year and it worked out pretty well for us. We know we can do some damage. We know we’re the underdogs, but we also know that we can step out on this court and light it up,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Team World had made a comeback from a 3-1 deficit, with all singles matches going to deciding tiebreaks. Learner Tien defeated Flavio Cobolli prior to de Minaur's match against Zverev. In the final match of the day, Zverev and Casper Ruud secured a 6-4, 7-6 (9/7) doubles win over Alexander Bublik and Brandon Nakashima, allowing Europe to maintain their slim lead as competition heads into the decisive matches on Sunday. Each match on Sunday will be worth three points, with the first team to reach 13 points declared the winner.