Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter here, living the dream in Miami. I’m super excited to share some awesome news with you all about the latest happenings in the world of tennis. Let’s dive into the Laver Cup previews and predictions for Carlos Alcaraz vs. Ben Shelton and Daniil Medvedev vs. Frances Tiafoe.
Alcaraz vs. Shelton
Carlos Alcaraz, the third-ranked Spaniard, has been on a roll this year. He won both the French Open and Wimbledon before taking home the silver medal from the Paris Olympics. However, he seemed spent both mentally and physically after losing in the U.S. Open second round to Botic van de Zandschulp.
This brings us to the question: what does Alcaraz have left in the tank for the Laver Cup? A doubles loss on Friday night doesn’t tell us much, but we’ll find out a lot more when he faces Ben Shelton in Saturday’s second singles rubber. Shelton is coming down the stretch of a solid but unspectacular 2024 campaign, with a 32-20 record that has him at 20th in the race to Turin. The former NCAA singles champion thrives in team atmospheres and his game works well on indoor hard courts. With Alcaraz vulnerable right now, this is a great opportunity for Shelton.
Pick: Shelton in 2
Medvedev vs. Tiafoe
Next up, we have Daniil Medvedev facing off against Frances Tiafoe. This will be their seventh encounter, and Medvedev has won all five of their previous main-tour matches. Tiafoe managed to pick up a win nine years ago during qualifying action on the red clay of Nice, but since then, it’s been all Medvedev. The world No. 5 is 12-1 in total sets at Tiafoe’s expense during his five-match head-to-head winning streak.
As well as Tiafoe is playing at the moment, the skid may continue. You could not fault him if his motivation level dips a bit following a semifinal run at his favorite tournament, the U.S. Open. As for Medvedev, he has some unfinished business going into the fall swing. The 28-year-old certainly hasn’t been bad this season, but at the same time he hasn’t captured a single title. Medvedev generally performs well this time of year, and it will likely show this weekend in Berlin.
Pick: Medvedev in 3
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