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'Prime Time' Tiafoe lifts Team World to 1st Laver Cup win

LONDON (AP) - The last to arrive, befitting his reputation in the locker room, Frances Tiafoe strutted into the post-match news conference after clinching Team World's Laver Cup victory over Roger Federer's star-studded Team Europe and shouted, 'œChamps are here!'ť

Then the 24-year-old from Maryland joined his teammates at the table where the silver trophy was resting Sunday night, put down a bottle of water, pulled a Budweiser out of his red jacket and smiled that wide smile of his.

Performing with the same infectious showmanship and crunch-time success he displayed en route to his first Grand Slam semifinal at the U.S. Open earlier this month, Tiafoe staved off four match points and came back to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 1-6, 7-6 (11), 10-8, giving Team World its first triumph in five editions of an event founded by Federer's management company.

'œI don't like losing,'ť said Federer, a 20-time major champion whose final match before retirement was a loss alongside Rafael Nadal in doubles against Tiafoe and Jack Sock on Friday night. 'œIt's not fun. It just leaves not the best taste.'ť

When Tsitsipas put a forehand into the net to end Sunday's contest - and the three-day competition - Tiafoe dropped his racket and fell to his back on the court, where teammates piled atop him. After getting on his feet, Tiafoe cupped a hand to his ear, asking spectators for more noise, then pointed to his chest and yelled, 'œI'm him! I'm him!'ť

'œWhen it becomes a circus out here, and I'm just using the crowd and acting like a little kid and having a bunch of reactions ... I end up playing really well and I start building momentum off it,'ť Tiafoe said. 'œI'm able to play and function in that better than my opponents, it seems.'ť

Using the nickname other players gave Tiafoe to reflect the way he embraces big moments, Team World captain John McEnroe said: 'œFrances is '~Prime Time.' He loves this stuff.'ť

McEnroe had been 0-4 while leading his squad against his former playing rival, Team Europe captain Bjorn Borg; both indicated they would be back for the 2023 Laver Cup in Vancouver, but that might be their last go-round.

This one served as a celebration of Federer and the 41-year-old Swiss star's career.

Tiafoe responded with a quip when asked whether he might owe Federer some form of 'œI'm sorry'ť for beating him in his finale or for defeating his team, which also included Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray for a total of 66 major singles titles. That, incidentally, is 66 more than Team World, a collection of 20-somethings (Sock turned 30 on Saturday).

'œI'm not going to apologize to him. He's got a lot to apologize for after the last 24 years - after beating everybody on the tour," said Tiafoe, who went 0-3 against Federer in singles head-to-head. 'œI will say thank you for having me in this amazing event, what he's done for the game. He's a class act. Happy to know him, happy to call him a friend, happy to call him a colleague, and best wishes in his second act. But I will not apologize."

Team Europe entered Sunday at O2 Arena with an 8-4 lead; the first team to 13 points would win.

Each match on Day 3 was worth three points, and Team World went ahead thanks to a pair of victories by Felix Auger-Aliassime, a 22-year-old from Canada. He beat Djokovic 6-3, 7-6 (3), after partnering with Sock to edge Murray and Matteo Berrettini 2-6, 6-3, 10-8 in doubles.

Tiafoe then made it 13-8, but it wasn't easy.

He went a tournament-record 8-0 in tiebreakers at Flushing Meadows this month and was just as resilient Sunday.

'œIt's been a long time that Frances has been playing the big guys close and losing a lot of close battles. It's great to see lately he's been winning,'ť said Taylor Fritz, an American who is the same age as Tiafoe and has known him for years. 'œIt's about time that he steps up and the matches go the other way. Today was a joke.'ť

That's because Tiafoe was a single point from losing to Tsitsipas four times in their second-set tiebreaker, but somehow got through that. Then, at 4-all in the concluding match tiebreaker - first to 10, win by two - Tiafoe sprinted from behind the baseline to near the net and barely got to a drop shot by Tsitsipas, somehow lunging to flick an angled winner.

While most of the 16,365 fans went wild, Tiafoe went around the net and stood still, hands on his hips, relishing the atmosphere.

'œWe put him in the slot that he was in today for a reason,'ť said Team World's Tommy Paul, a 25-year-old American, 'œand he stepped up for us, big time.'ť

___

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Australian tennis legend Rod Laver watches Team World celebrate with the Laver Cup trophy in London, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The Associated Press
Team World's members celebrate with the trophy, watched by Australian tennis legend Rod Laver and members of Team Europe at the end of the Laver Cup tennis tournament in London, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The Associated Press
Teammates run onto the court to celebrate after Team World's Frances Tiafoe won the singles tennis match against Team Europe's Stefanos Tsitsipas on the third day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 arena in London, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The Associated Press
Team World's Frances Tiafoe celebrates after winning the singles tennis match against Team Europe's Stefanos Tsitsipas on the third day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 arena in London, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The Associated Press
Team Europe's Roger Federer speaks at the end of the Laver Cup tennis tournament in London, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The Associated Press
Team World celebrates their victory over Team Europe in the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 arena in London, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The Associated Press
Team World's Captain John McEnroe cheers for teammate Frances Tiafoe during his singles tennis match against Team Europe's Stefanos Tsitsipas on the third day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 arena in London, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The Associated Press
Team Europe's Roger Federer speaks with teammate Stefanos Tsitsipas during the latter's singles tennis match against Team World's Frances Tiafoe on the third day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 arena in London, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The Associated Press
Team World's players take a selfie after winning the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 arena in London, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The Associated Press
Team Europe's Roger Federer, second left looks up as he stands behind teammate Team Europe's Novak Djokovic, who is taking a drink at a change of ends as he plays against Team Wold'sFelix Auger-Allassime during their singles tennis match on third day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 arena in London, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The Associated Press
Team World's Jack Sock, left, and Felix Auger-Aliassime react during a match against Team Europe's Andy Murray, left, talks to Matteo Berrettini on final day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 in London, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The Associated Press
Team Europe's Andy Murray reacts as he receives medical treatment during a match against Team World's Jack Sock and Felix Auger-Aliassime on final day of the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 in London, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The Associated Press
Team Europe's Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer stand side by side at the end of the Laver Cup tennis tournament in London, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The Associated Press
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