Stefanos Tsitsipas delivered a commanding performance at the Laver Cup on Friday, cruising past Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-1, 6-4 to bring Team Europe level with Team World on the opening day in Berlin. After teammate Casper Ruud lost to Francisco Cerundolo, Tsitsipas stepped up to secure a much-needed win for Europe.
The victory was particularly sweet for the Greek star, as Kokkinakis had ousted him in the first round of the US Open just a month prior. However, in their Laver Cup rematch, Kokkinakis struggled to put up resistance, allowing Tsitsipas to dominate from the baseline and dictate play with his forehand.
“I’m very satisfied with that type of game I brought today,” Tsitsipas said in his post-match interview with Andrea Petkovic.
Tsitsipas quickly claimed eight of the first nine games, using an aggressive baseline strategy while varying his pace with sliced backhands. Kokkinakis, making his Laver Cup debut, rarely moved forward, leaving Tsitsipas free to control the match. The Greek also shone on serve, holding throughout the match.
Reflecting on his strong performance, Tsitsipas gave credit to Team Europe’s captain, Bjorn Borg. “I think it was the team captain that was the difference,” Tsitsipas said with a smile before embracing Borg.
