This year’s edition of the Laver Cup has taken on extra significance following the news that Roger Federer will retire after featuring in London.
Federer will play the final match of his career when partnering Rafael Nadal in doubles for Team Europe on Friday night at the O2 Arena.
The legendary duo, who have won 20 and 22 grand slam titles respectively, will face Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock of Team World.
“I’m not sure if I can handle it all but I’ll try,” said 41-year-old Federer. “Playing with Rafa feels really different. To be able to do it one more time, I’m sure it will be wonderful and I’ll try my very best.”
Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Berrettini are also on Team Europe, who are 2/7 favourites in the Laver Cup odds.
Taylor Fritz, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alex De Minaur and Diego Schwartzman complete Team World, who can be backed at 5/2 to come out on top.
Djokovic is 17/10 to be his side’s leading points scorer, with Nadal quoted at 11/4, Ruud 7/2 and Tsitsipas 5/1.
Tiafoe heads the betting on Team World’s top performer at 11/4, with Auger-Aliassime 3/1, Fritz 10/3, De Minaur 9/2, Sock 11/2 and Schwartzman 8/1.
Points are halved for doubles matches and dead-heat rules apply.
Punters can get 12/1 that the 2022 Laver Cup is decided by a final overtime doubles match.
Here are our Laver Cup predictions for the opening round of singles matches on Friday, which will hopefully give us a near-13/1 treble:
CASPER RUUD TO BEAT JACK SOCK 2-0 @ 3/4
Ruud made it all the way through to the US Open final before losing a shoot-out with Carlos Alcaraz for that title and the world number one spot. The Norwegian also reached the French Open decider this year and has picked up three ATP Tour titles. The 23-year-old has worked hard to develop his game away from favoured clay courts and will be keen to show he deserves his high ranking now featuring alongside the sport’s modern greats.
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS TO BEAT DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN 2-0 @ 17/20
Schwartzman upset Tsitsipas at the ATP Cup back in January but the Greek ace has won two subsequent meetings. He prevailed 6-2 6-7 6-4 in the Monte Carlo Masters quarter-finals on clay and then enjoyed a more routine 6-3 6-3 success in Cincinnati on a hard court. Tsitsipas went on to reach the final of that US Open warm-up event, beating Daniil Medvedev in the semis, and should be too powerful on this surface.
ALEX DE MINAUR TO BEAT ANDY MURRAY 2-1 @ 16/5
Murray laboured to a 6-4 6-3 victory over lowly-ranked Kazakh Dmitry Popko in a Davis Cup dead rubber but is vulnerable when facing stronger foes these days, as when going down to Berrettini at the US Open. De Minaur has been on a decent run of late, reaching the semis at Eastbourne and then taking the Atlanta Open title at the end of July. The 23-year-old Australian only needs to hold his form and desire to prevail here.
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