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Match Details
Fixture: Carlos Alcaraz & Alexander Zverev vs Taylor Fritz & Ben Shelton
Date: Friday, September 20, 2024
Tournament: Laver Cup 2024
Venue: Uber Arena, Berlin, Germany
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $2,250,000
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport | Canada - TSN | India - Sony | Australia - Stan Sport
Carlos Alcaraz & Alexander Zverev vs Taylor Fritz & Ben Shelton preview
Carlos Alcaraz & Alexander Zverev will square off against the All-American duo of Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton in the last and arguably the biggest match-up on Day 1 of the 2024 Laver Cup on Friday, September 20.
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Alcaraz heads into the Roger Federer-backed event with a 41-9 match record this year and three titles in Indian Wells, Paris, and Wimbledon. His North American hard-court swing, however, didn't go as planned, as he lost in the second round of both the Cincinnati Open and the US Open. He most recently competed for Spain at the Davis Cup, where he won all three of his matches—two in singles and one in doubles.
Zverev has compiled a 56-17 match record this year and has picked up one title in Rome. He also reached the finals at the French and Hamburg Open. During his North American hard-court swing, he reached the semifinals in Cincinnati and the quarterfinals in both Montreal and New York, often failing to convert his chances into bigger results.
Fritz, meanwhile, enters the Laver Cup with an impressive 44-17 match record in 2024. He has won titles in Delray Beach and Eastbourne. After a disappointing build-up to the US Open, Fritz surprised everyone by reaching his first major final at home, where he lost to Jannik Sinner.
Shelton heads into Berlin with a 32-20 match record this year and one title in Newport. Despite a strong first half of the season, he has struggled to maintain that form in the second half. After a semifinal run in Washington, he suffered disappointing defeats in both Montreal and Cincinnati. He then lost in the third round at the US Open to Frances Tiafoe.
Carlos Alcaraz & Alexander Zverev vs Taylor Fritz & Ben Shelton head-to-head
The pairs have not faced off before so their head-to-head stands at 0-0.
Carlos Alcaraz & Alexander Zverev vs Taylor Fritz & Ben Shelton odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Carlos Alcaraz & Alexander Zverev vs Taylor Fritz & Ben Shelton prediction
Carlos Alcaraz has played just four doubles matches this season, winning three of them. He famously competed at the Paris Olympics alongside Rafael Nadal where they were ousted in the quarterfinals.
Zverev, meanwhile, has compiled a 7-5 match record on the doubles circuit this year. He reached the final of the Monte Carlo Masters alongside good friend Marcelo Melo and reached the second round in Cincinnati most recently.
Fritz has arguably found the most success in doubles this year, winning the bronze medal at the Olympics alongside Tommy Paul. He holds a 9-5 match record for the year, also having reached the final of the Queen's Club Championships alongside Karen Khachanov.
Shelton has played the most doubles matches on tour this season out of the four, compiling an even 10-10 match record so far this year. His best results include reaching the last four in Dallas and Rome.
The Americans enter this encounter as slight favorites, based on statistics. Fritz's impressive form in team play recently should also boost their confidence. The European pairing of Alcaraz and Zverev can, however, take comfort in playing on indoor hard-courts and in front of a packed home crowd.
The match could very well go the distance with the Spanish-German duo potentially edging it out in the super tie-breaker. Despite it being Alcaraz's debut at the event, he will play a significant role in the tie.
Pick: Carlos Alcaraz & Alexander Zverev in three sets.
