Laver Cup Day 2: Federer tops Krygios; Nadal splits; Europe leads 7-5

Follow the second day of the 2019 Laver Cup, throughout Saturday, here. After the first day of play, Team Europe—the only champions the three-year-old event has ever known—led Team World 3-1.

Regardless of whether Team Europe won or lost this match, they need to win two matches on Sunday to retain the Laver Cup. But with Team World's win in doubles, John McEnroe's side has the opportunity to win their first Laver Cup in just three matches on Sunday.

It would require quite an effort, but considering the rankings disparity of these rosters, today's results—a wash, at face value—can be considering nothing other than a win for the road team.

In his first match since winning the US Open, Rafa looked rusty—to start. He faced eight break points in the first set against a player not known for his returning prowess, and won just 59 percent of his first-serve points.

And yet, the set ended 6-3, to Nadal. You never would have guessed that Rafa struggled based on that score, and the same could be said for the second set, after Nadal elevated his game. But as is so often the case when facing Raonic, an impressive level of play can be negated with the Canadian's lethal serve.

In the most critical stage of this match, the second-set tiebreaker, Nadal took the initiative early and never gave Raonic a chance to impose his own firepower. It resembled Federer's start to his 10-point tiebreaker, one match earlier—and resembled so many other Nadal matches on hard courts over the years.

The second day will conclude with doubles, again featuring Nadal, who partners with Stefanos Tsitsipas to face Nick Kyrgios and Jack Sock. Should Team Europe prevail in that match, they would need to win two of four matches on Sunday to retain the Laver Cup.

Hear me out: The Laver Cup would never be confused with a Grand Slam tournament, but Kyrgios probably treats this three-year-old competition with more seriousness than the sport's four pillar events. Is the Laver Cup one of the few times when we can truly see a locked-in Kyrgios?

The rally Kyrgios played with Federer midway through this match's 10th game, still on serve was something we rarely see. When an exchange gets around the 24-shot range, that's when you typically see the Uber-talented 24-year-old break out a tweener, a no-look store, or some other fancy trick shot. Not here. Kyrgios won the point only after deciding to pull the trigger with his backhand after a sequence of calculated, crafty and powerful shots. Federer was left flailing at the sublimely struck ball.

This theory—at least to me—made Federer's 2-0 record against Kyrgios in Laver Cup (including a win in which the Aussie had a match point) heading into today all the more impressive.

Saturday gave us more no-nonsense Nick. He was engaged from the start. He battled throughout his service and return games. He recovered from a 4-0 deficit in the first-set tiebreaker to take the opener.

Then, leading the second set 4-3 and returning serve at 30-30, Kyrgios played the hits: a between-the-legs reply from the baseline, and a poorly executed drop shot that Federer pounced on. The Swiss held on for 4-4. Still, Kyrgios replied with a love hold, which included a 140 M.P.H. ace.

On the ensuing changeover, Rafael Nadal told his teammate that any rally over five shots is going Kyrgios' way. Translation: get more aggressive.

Federer held with ease; then, when he reached 0-30 on Kyrgios' serve, Nadal leapt off the Team Europe bench in celebration. A Kyrgios double fault ensued. While he would get back to deuce, he wouldn't get the game—Federer broke for a 6-5 lead.

Nadal implored Federer again on the changeover: add more spin and high balls, with Kyrgios preferring the lower-bouncing shots. Federer held to take the contest to a deciding tiebreak.

And now, it was Federer's turn to rally from a tiebreak deficit. Trailing Kyrgios 2-0, he won the next five points, and 10 of the last 15. With Team Europe regaining its lead heading into the night session, the crowd in Geneva chanted like it was watching a soccer match. It was the tennis equivalent of one, surely.

Rather, it was watching its nation's greatest athlete, who has still never lost a Laver Cup singles match. Laver Cup brings out the best in Federer, too—he helped create the competition, after all.

John Isner has had success in Switzerland as part of a team—in 2012, the American beat Roger Federer in four sets in Davis Cup. He added to his road-warrior mentality on Saturday with a much-needed victory over Alexander Zverev, which with its two points levels the Laver Cup after five matches.

While Zverev and Isner were close on the scoreboard throughout the first set and for much of the second, the German was the noticeably superior player, with nearly all rallies going his way. Isner's serve kept him within reach, of course, but Zverev's was equally impenetrable.

"I wasn't making any inroads on his serve at all, and he was the better player for 85 percent of the match," Isner said.

But Isner held on long enough to get to 4-4 in the second set, where Zverev finally blinked. Having earned rare break points, Isner hit an even rarer drop-shot winner to tilt the set, and eventually the match, in his favor.

"Once I got up 5-4 I had a lot of momentum," Isner said, "and I think I showed that in the tiebreaker."

Leading 3-0 in the 10-point tiebreaker, Isner took aim at Zverev's serve again—this time, with his forehand. He unloaded on a down-the-line swipe, bringing his boisterous teammates to their feet. When Isner showed his prowess at net, Jack Sock exclaimed, "Big man, soft hands." This time, Sock flossed. The writing was on the wall.

Isner would get all the way to 7-0 in the tiebreaker—a 12-point run—before Zverev won his first point. It would also be his last.