Laver Cup is 2-2 after Fritz and Shelton win doubles from Alcaraz and Zverev

Sport

Laver Cup is 2-2 after Fritz and Shelton win doubles from Alcaraz and Zverev

2024-09-21 06:21 Last Updated At：06:31

BERLIN (AP) — American pair Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton edged Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev in doubles to tie the Laver Cup after the first day Friday.

Alcaraz and Zverev, who faced each other in the French Open final three months ago, had a point for 5-4 in the second set but lost it and the game, and Fritz and Shelton served out to win 7-6 (5), 6-4.

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Team World's Alejandro Tabilo returns the ball during his singles tennis match against team Europe's Grigor Dimitrov on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

BERLIN (AP) — American pair Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton edged Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev in doubles to tie the Laver Cup after the first day Friday.

Team Europe's Grigor Dimitrov reacts during his singles tennis match against team World's Alejandro Tabilo on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team Europe's Stefanos Tsitsipas returns a ball during his singles tennis match against team World's Thanasi Kokkinakis on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team World's Ben Shelton, left, and Taylor Fritz confer during a doubles match against Team Europe's Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Team Europe's Carlos Alcaraz, left, and Alexander Zverev slap hands during a doubles match against Team World's Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Former Tennis player Roger Federer, right, and the former soccer player, Bastian Schweinsteiger, left, attend the Opening Night of the Laver Cup tennis tournament in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Christophe Gateau/dpa via AP)

Team Europe's Casper Ruud serves to team World's Francisco Cerundolo during his singles tennis match on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team Europe's Casper Ruud, bottom, plays against team World's Francisco Cerundolo on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo says goodbye to captain Björn Borg after winning his match against Norway's Casper Ruud during their men's singles Laver Cup tennis match at the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday Sept. 20, 2024. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Casper Ruud returns a ball to Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo during their men's singles Laver Cup tennis match at the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday Sept. 20, 2024. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Team World's Francisco Cerundolo celebrates after winning against team Europe's Casper Ruud on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team World's Francisco Cerundolo returns during his singles tennis match against team Europe's Casper Ruud on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team World's Francisco Cerundolo tosses the ball for a serve to Europe's Casper Ruud during his singles tennis match on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

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BERLIN (AP) — American pair Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton edged Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev in doubles to tie the Laver Cup after the first day Friday.

Team Europe's Grigor Dimitrov reacts during his singles tennis match against team World's Alejandro Tabilo on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team Europe's Stefanos Tsitsipas returns a ball during his singles tennis match against team World's Thanasi Kokkinakis on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team World's Ben Shelton, left, and Taylor Fritz confer during a doubles match against Team Europe's Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Team Europe's Carlos Alcaraz, left, and Alexander Zverev slap hands during a doubles match against Team World's Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Former Tennis player Roger Federer, right, and the former soccer player, Bastian Schweinsteiger, left, attend the Opening Night of the Laver Cup tennis tournament in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Christophe Gateau/dpa via AP)

Team Europe's Casper Ruud serves to team World's Francisco Cerundolo during his singles tennis match on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team Europe's Casper Ruud, bottom, plays against team World's Francisco Cerundolo on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo says goodbye to captain Björn Borg after winning his match against Norway's Casper Ruud during their men's singles Laver Cup tennis match at the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday Sept. 20, 2024. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Casper Ruud returns a ball to Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo during their men's singles Laver Cup tennis match at the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday Sept. 20, 2024. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Team World's Francisco Cerundolo celebrates after winning against team Europe's Casper Ruud on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team World's Francisco Cerundolo returns during his singles tennis match against team Europe's Casper Ruud on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team World's Francisco Cerundolo tosses the ball for a serve to Europe's Casper Ruud during his singles tennis match on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

That left Team Europe and Team World at 2-2 with two more days to go in a format reminiscent of golf’s Ryder Cup.

Team World won the opening match when Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina topped Casper Ruud of Norway 6-4, 6-4.

Ruud, ranked No. 9, made 20 unforced errors and just 11 winners.

Cerundolo improved his record against Ruud to 4-3.

Stefanos Tsitsipas pulled Team Europe even by beating Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-1, 6-4. Kokkinakis ousted Tsitsipas at the U.S. Open but Tsitsipas was far more comfortable indoors.

Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov then beat Chile's Alejandro Tabilo 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2) after more than two hours.

Each match win is worth one point on Friday, two points on Saturday, and three points on Sunday. The first team to 13 points wins. The tournament ends on Sunday.

Earlier Friday, the Laver Cup and the ATP tour announced a five-year extension to their existing agreement.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Ex-Memphis police supervisor says there was 'no need' for officers to beat Tyre Nichols

2024-09-21 06:22 Last Updated At：06:30

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — There was “no need” for five Memphis police officers to punch, kick, and hit Tyre Nichols with a baton on the night he was fatally beaten after a traffic stop, their former supervisor testified Thursday in the federal trial for three of the officers.

Dewayne Smith told the court he was a Memphis police lieutenant who supervised the Scorpion Unit One, which included Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith. He testified that the officers did not tell him that they had beaten Nichols when he spoke to them at the scene after it happened.

Dewayne Smith said he went to Nichols’ home nearby to determine if Nichols used drugs, after officers told him, without evidence, that Nichols was high when they pulled him out of his car.

The former supervisor said he also speculated that Nichols could have been on a hallucinogen or PCP and in a state of “excited delirium” — a controversial diagnosis sometimes used to justify excessive force — because he overpowered larger officers who hit him with pepper spray.

Nichols died Jan. 10, 2023, three days after the beating. An autopsy report shows Nichols — the father of a boy who is now 7 — died from blows to the head. The report describes brain injuries, and cuts and bruises on his head and elsewhere on his body. According to the autopsy, only low amounts of ethanol — or drinking alcohol — and tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, were detected in Nichols’ system. THC is found in marijuana.

Dewayne Smith watched video of the beating with jurors, who have seen it several times during more than a week of testimony. Asked if the beating was consistent with his expectations of his officers, Smith told Prosecutor Kathryn Gilbert, “That wasn’t called for."

Smith became the officers' supervisor in late 2022, he said. He was allowed to retire in March 2023 “in lieu of termination,” he said.

Prosecutors have said Memphis police would punish people with force for running away from them, a practice known as a “run tax” or a “street tax.” Under cross examination, Smith told Michael Stengel, Haley’s defense lawyer, that he never had complaints of his team using the practice.

Haley, Bean and Justin Smith pleaded not guilty to federal charges of excessive force, failure to intervene, and obstructing justice through witness tampering.

The Memphis Police Department fired the three, along with Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr., after Nichols’ death. The officers were later indicted on the federal charges. Martin and Mills have taken plea deals.

All five were members of the Scorpion Unit, which looked for drugs, illegal guns and violent offenders. The unit was disbanded after Nichols' death.

The Associated Press analyzed what the officers claimed happened on the night of the beating compared to video of the incident. The AP sifted through hundreds of pages of evidence and hours of video from the scene, including officer body cameras.

The five officers also have been charged with second-degree murder in state court, where they pleaded not guilty. Mills and Martin are expected to change their pleas. A trial date in state court has not been set.

Laver Cup is 2-2 after Fritz and Shelton win doubles from Alcaraz and Zverev

Sport

Laver Cup is 2-2 after Fritz and Shelton win doubles from Alcaraz and Zverev

BERLIN (AP) — American pair Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton edged Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev in doubles to tie the Laver Cup after the first day Friday.

Team Europe's Grigor Dimitrov reacts during his singles tennis match against team World's Alejandro Tabilo on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team Europe's Stefanos Tsitsipas returns a ball during his singles tennis match against team World's Thanasi Kokkinakis on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team World's Ben Shelton, left, and Taylor Fritz confer during a doubles match against Team Europe's Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Team Europe's Carlos Alcaraz, left, and Alexander Zverev slap hands during a doubles match against Team World's Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Former Tennis player Roger Federer, right, and the former soccer player, Bastian Schweinsteiger, left, attend the Opening Night of the Laver Cup tennis tournament in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Christophe Gateau/dpa via AP)

Team Europe's Casper Ruud serves to team World's Francisco Cerundolo during his singles tennis match on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team Europe's Casper Ruud, bottom, plays against team World's Francisco Cerundolo on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo says goodbye to captain Björn Borg after winning his match against Norway's Casper Ruud during their men's singles Laver Cup tennis match at the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday Sept. 20, 2024. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Casper Ruud returns a ball to Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo during their men's singles Laver Cup tennis match at the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday Sept. 20, 2024. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Team World's Francisco Cerundolo celebrates after winning against team Europe's Casper Ruud on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team World's Francisco Cerundolo returns during his singles tennis match against team Europe's Casper Ruud on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team World's Francisco Cerundolo tosses the ball for a serve to Europe's Casper Ruud during his singles tennis match on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

BERLIN (AP) — American pair Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton edged Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev in doubles to tie the Laver Cup after the first day Friday.

Team Europe's Grigor Dimitrov reacts during his singles tennis match against team World's Alejandro Tabilo on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team Europe's Stefanos Tsitsipas returns a ball during his singles tennis match against team World's Thanasi Kokkinakis on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team World's Ben Shelton, left, and Taylor Fritz confer during a doubles match against Team Europe's Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Team Europe's Carlos Alcaraz, left, and Alexander Zverev slap hands during a doubles match against Team World's Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Former Tennis player Roger Federer, right, and the former soccer player, Bastian Schweinsteiger, left, attend the Opening Night of the Laver Cup tennis tournament in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Christophe Gateau/dpa via AP)

Team Europe's Casper Ruud serves to team World's Francisco Cerundolo during his singles tennis match on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team Europe's Casper Ruud, bottom, plays against team World's Francisco Cerundolo on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo says goodbye to captain Björn Borg after winning his match against Norway's Casper Ruud during their men's singles Laver Cup tennis match at the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday Sept. 20, 2024. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Casper Ruud returns a ball to Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo during their men's singles Laver Cup tennis match at the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday Sept. 20, 2024. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Team World's Francisco Cerundolo celebrates after winning against team Europe's Casper Ruud on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team World's Francisco Cerundolo returns during his singles tennis match against team Europe's Casper Ruud on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Team World's Francisco Cerundolo tosses the ball for a serve to Europe's Casper Ruud during his singles tennis match on the first day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the Uber arena in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

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