LAVER CUP Press Release, July 27, 2018
Wimbledon runner-up, world No.5 Kevin Anderson, Wimbledon semifinalist [9] John Isner, and Argentine young gun [12] Diego Schwartzman will join Team World at the Laver Cup in Chicago in September.
The three top 15 players will join world No.4 Juan Martin del Potro and Australian [18] Nick Kyrgios, John McEnroe’s first ‘captain’s pick’ for the team.
One more player, McEnroe’s final captain’s pick, will be named for Team World prior to the US Open.
“I’m very excited to have the Wimbledon finalist Kevin (Anderson) and semifinalist John (Isner) joining Team World for the Laver Cup in Chicago,” McEnroe said today.
“Along with Juan Martin del Potro and Nick (Kyrgios) I think we could be looking at perhaps the world’s tallest and biggest-serving tennis team.
“Both Kevin and John have big games and they’ll add massive firepower to our team. It was incredible to watch them as rivals battle it out on center court at Wimbledon in that marathon semifinal match, with neither of them prepared to concede a point. And in Chicago, at Laver Cup, we’ll see them come together as teammates.
“And then we add in the grittiness, determination and agility of Diego Schwartzman, whose consistency at the highest level has been impressive over the past 18 months.
“This is a tremendous team and with one more player still to be selected, I’d say Team World is in great shape, looking pretty well-rounded and convincing, and more than capable of taking on Team Europe. I have a feeling this will be our year.”
This year has been a revelation for Kevin Anderson, the epitome of a player who has been a total professional for his entire career and is now reaping the rewards of consistent hard work.
Anderson may have lost to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final, but his defeat of Roger Federer on his favorite surface, and hard-fought win over Isner in the marathon semifinal, saw him hit a career-high ranking of world No.5 and win many new fans.
Anderson is looking forward to ‘coming home’ to Chicago for the Laver Cup, having spent three seasons playing college tennis at the University of Illinois, where he was a three-time All-American in singles and two-time All-American in doubles.
“I’m incredibly excited about playing the Laver Cup in Chicago this year, and to be playing with such a high quality group of guys in just the second event is really a huge honor for me,” Anderson said.
“I watched the event last year and thought it was wonderful and I can’t wait to join our captain, John McEnroe, who is a legend of the game of tennis, and the rest of our team – it’s an amazing opportunity.
“It will be great to have John Isner on my side as a teammate instead of having to face him on the other side of the net. Our very long Wimbledon semifinal was definitely memorable but it’s not an experience I’m keen to repeat anytime soon!”
Isner, a mainstay in the top 25 for most of the past 10 years, hit a career high of No.8 following his exploits at Wimbledon this year. Isner is looking forward to a second outing with Team World, citing the inaugural Laver Cup in Prague as one of his highlights of 2017.
“We all had a great time playing the Laver Cup in Prague last year and I’m very excited to have the chance to join Team World and play the event at home in the United States, in Chicago, this year,” Isner said.
“The Laver Cup is a brilliant format, getting the top players together and having the chance to play as a team is very special, and it will only continue to build.
“I’ve had some great matches and rivalries with this group of guys over the years, even going back to our college days with Kevin, and of course after what happened at Wimbledon, it will be nice to have Kevin on my side of the net, along with Delpo, Diego and Nick.”
Schwartzman has risen to world No.12 in the rankings this year on the back of a string of great performances, and even managed to steal a set from the ‘King of Clay’, Rafael Nadal, at Roland Garros.
“I am so honored to be part of Team World for Laver Cup, and to have the chance to play with such huge figures in our sport, including of course my fellow Argentine, Juan Martin,” Schwartzman said.
“Playing as part of a team always brings a different kind of intensity and I’m very excited to join Team World and will do my best to win the Laver Cup.”
Team Europe won the inaugural Laver Cup 15-9 in Prague last year, in a thrilling decider where Roger Federer saved a match point to defeat Team World’s Nick Kyrgios and hoist the magnificent trophy.
Team World will be keen to avenge the loss and make the most of their home-ground advantage at the United Center in Chicago from September 21-23.
Fast Facts:
· The Laver Cup is a three-day tournament pitting a team of six of the best tennis players from Europe against six of their counterparts from the rest of the world
· Björn Borg is captain of Team Europe and John McEnroe is captain of Team World
· Thomas Enqvist and Patrick McEnroe are vice captains of Team Europe and Team World
· Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have been named for Team Europe, with further player announcements expected in the coming weeks
· The tournament is named in honor of Australian tennis legend Rod Laver, the only man to win two calendar-year Grand Slams, and one of the greatest players of all time
· The unique format of the tournament showcases tennis superstars competing on the same team, playing singles, pairing up in doubles and cheering each other on
· The inaugural Laver Cup was held at the O2 arena in Prague, Czech Republic, from September 22-24, 2017, with Team Europe defeating Team World 15-9
· The location will rotate between major cities in Europe and the rest of the world each year
· The 2018 edition of the Laver Cup will take place at the United Center in Chicago, United States, from September 21-23, 2018.
Playing format:
· Each team is comprised of six players and is led by a team captain
· The competition is played over three days – Friday, Saturday and Sunday
· There are five sessions, two on Friday and Saturday, and one on Sunday
· Four matches are played daily, three singles and one doubles
· Each match is worth one point on Friday, two points on Saturday and three points on Sunday
· The first team to reach 13 points wins the Laver Cup
· In the event of a tie after all 12 matches have been completed, a final overtime doubles match is played as a regular set with ad scoring and a tiebreak
· Both singles and doubles are best-of-three sets with ad scoring, with the third set decided by a 10-point tiebreak in the event of split sets
· Each player will play at least one singles match during the first two days
· No player will play singles more than twice during the three days
· At least four of the six players must play doubles
· Match-ups will be determined prior to each day of play through the exchange of line-up cards by the captains.
Player qualification:
· Players for Team Europe and Team World must qualify or be selected as ‘captain’s picks’ by their team captain
· Each team comprises six players, with four players on each team qualifying based on their ATP singles ranking as of the Monday following Wimbledon
· Two players on each team are ‘captain’s picks’ and will be announced by the Monday after the US Open.
