Dimitrov gives Team Europe a 2-1 lead in Friday night classic | Laver Cup

The 2024 Laver Cup heated up in the first of the night session matches, as Grigor Dimitrov beat Alejandro Tabilo 7-6(4) 7-6(2) in one of the most watchable matches in the competition’s seven-year history. It gives Team Europe a 2-1 lead going into the weekend’s first doubles.

After two absorbing victories for Francisco Cerundolo and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the opening day’s afternoon session, Dimitrov and Tabilo put on a feast of varied stroke-making for the tennis aficionados both in Berlin’s Uber Arena and watching on TV around the world. The two sets lasted two hours 15 minutes, and despite a lull in the second set, the contest came to life in two exhilarating tiebreaks.

One point stands out as a rally for any showreel. With Tabilo having taken an early minibreak in the first set tiebreak, Dimitrov had to soak up a lot of pressure. Using his aggressive forehand and his sliced backhand, he hung in the point, and then drew Tabilo into the net with a delicate crosscourt drop volley. Tabilo read it and went crosscourt, only for Dimitrov not only to get there but to send the crowd wild with a flicked slice almost behind his back for a crosscourt winner. Dimitrov high-fived with his captain Björn Borg while the tennis world applauded.

Dimitrov’s greater array of shots and flashy single-handed backhand meant he dictated many of the points, but Tabilo played his part in the classic. The Chilean left-hander served at a high level, used the full width of the court, and was happy to throw in plenty of slices and dropshots, which delivered some stunning tennis. And Dimitrov won despite wincing several times with what looked like a hamstring injury just two weeks after he had to retire in his US Open quarterfinal against Frances Tiafoe.

“I felt like there were some incredible points from both of us,” Tabilo said. “Grigor moves so well – he covers the court so well, you feel like you have to hit an extra shot. I felt we were both playing some great tennis. The first set was an incredible level.”

Despite the dominance of the serve in the first set, there were plenty of rallies that took the crowd’s breath away. Dimitrov hit a delightful drop volley, then moments later Tabilo hit a gorgeous lob. Every square centimetre of the court was used, every angle becoming more acute as the artistry of both players shone through.

Dimitrov certainly rode his luck. He fended off two break points in the fourth game, one of them with a stone-dead netcord, but both men were serving well enough that the tiebreak looked likely even after two games. The golden fourth point of the tiebreak proved crucial, as it brought Dimitrov back level at 2-2. He then profited from a mis-hit forehand at 5-4 to set himself up with two set points, and he claimed the set in 59 minutes on another long rally in which he was rewarded for keeping up the big hitting.

Tabilo came out flat, and had to save three break points in second game of second set. But once he had picked himself up, the match turned. He broke Dimitrov in the next game as the Bulgarian’s aggressive shot-making failed to penetrate the Chilean’s defence.

Dimitrov’s next service game also fell, as his serve retreated to a shadow of the impressive weapon it had been in the first set. That gave Tabilo a 5-1 lead as the match went into a lull.

But with everyone gearing up for a 10-point Laver Breaker to decide the match, the second set turned again as Dimitrov stepped in and rediscovered his range. Tabilo had two set points at 5-2 40-15 but lost four points on the run. He had a third set point at 5-4, but Dimitrov hit a stunning forehand return of serve for a clean winner. Dimitrov posted five successive games before Tabilo forced a second tiebreak.

Despite Dimitrov’s grimaces, his movement remained fluent, and the point he took against the Tabilo serve to lead 2-1 would have been the point of the day had it not been for the magical point in the first tiebreak. He showed the full range of his groundstrokes, before dancing round to hit a winning in-to-out forehand. Tabilo never recovered, and Dimitrov conceded just one more point.

Despite the result, Tabilo felt he could take some positives from the latest in a run of defeats. “I feel like I’m finding my game again after a few rough matches,” he said. “Just knowing that I can hit all those shots tells me that if I can play loose, I can play more solid and aggressive.”