(Video) Roger Federer joins Team Europe’s applause for Grigor Dimitrov after an astonishing point at the Laver Cup
Roger Federer has been at his vibrant best this past week, supporting Team Europe at the Laver Cup in Berlin.
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Grigor Dimitrov had Roger Federer applauding (images via X)
Bulgarian tennis superstar Grigor Dimitrov entertained the Berlin fans with his full array of shot-making and movement on the opening day against Alejandro Tabilo. To step it up, the quality of tennis reached cloud nine in the first set tiebreak.
In an astonishing rally, Dimitrov passed Tabilo at the net with a crosscourt backhand, making Team Europe jump out of their seats. Roger Federer, notably, added to the applause by giving Dimitrov a thumbs-up.
Dimitrov, often called the ‘baby version’ of Federer since his breakthrough on the tennis tour, has been struggling with fitness this season. Interestingly, his injury woes continued during the match against Tabilo. Nevertheless, he battled through and won in two tiebreak sets, earning his team a vital point.
Dimitrov came into this Laver Cup after an exhibition tour in Sofia with Novak Djokovic. The two tennis titans were seen sharing banter and funny exchanges on the court.
Grigor Dimitrov gives Team Europe the lead at Laver Cup
Grigor Dimitrov won his first match at this year’s Laver Cup, defeating Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2). As a result of this win, he gives the four-time champions the 2-1 lead after falling behind earlier in the score due to Casper Ruud‘s defeat.
The match took place on Friday (September 20th) at 8 pm Bulgarian time in the Uber Arena in Berlin. Dimitrov, ranked 10th in the world, made a strong comeback in the second set after trailing 1-5. Despite some physical discomfort, he fought back to force a tiebreak and won the match. Dimitrov last played in the Laver Cup in 2018. He competed in a singles match against Frances Tiafoe and a doubles match with David Goffin, helping Team Europe win against Team World.
In this year’s event, Dimitrov replaced Rafael Nadal, who was supposed to play. His victory on Friday earned Team Europe one point. The scoring system awards 1 point for wins on the first day, 2 points on the second day, and 3 points on the third day. The first team to score 13 points wins the tournament.
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Fahad Hamid
(646 Articles Published)