Ricky’s picks for Laver Cup Day 2, including Alcaraz vs. Shelton

The 2024 Laver Cup in Berlin, Germany is tied at 1-1 heading into Saturday competition between Team Europe and Team World. It will heat up in a big way on Day 2, when each match is worth two points.

Here are my picks for two of Saturday’s best matchups.

Daniil Medvedev (EUR) vs. Frances Tiafoe (WOR)

Medvedev and Tiafoe will be squaring off for the seventh time in their careers when they kick off the Day 2 schedule. The head-to-head series on the main tour stands at 5-0 in Medvedev’s favor, although Tiafoe at least managed to pick up a win nine years ago in Nice qualifying. It has been all Medvedev since; in fact, the Russian is 12-1 in total sets during his five-match winning streak against Tiafoe.

As well as the American is playing right now, his head-to-head skid may continue. You could not blame Tiafoe if his motivation level dips a bit following a semifinal run at the U.S. Open, which is by far his favorite tournament. As for Medvedev, he has a bit of unfinished business heading into the fall swing. The Russian certainly hasn’t been terrible in 2024, but at the same time he hasn’t captured a single title this season. Medvedev generally performs well in the fall, and it will likely show this weekend.

Pick: Medvedev in 3

Carlos Alcaraz (EUR) vs. Ben Shelton (WOR)

Alcaraz has been known to wear out down the stretch of seasons, albeit still in the relatively early stages of his career. And who can fault him when he accrues so many victories throughout the spring and summer? This year may be no different, as Alcaraz triumphed at both the French Open and Wimbledon before winning the silver medal at the Paris Olympics. Looking spent both mentally and physically, the third-ranked Spaniard lost to Botic van de Zandschulp in the U.S. Open second round.

What does Alcaraz left in the tank? A Laver Cup doubles loss on opening night does not tell us much, but we will find out a lot more when he faces Shelton in singles on Saturday. Shelton is coming down the stretch of a decent season, during which he is 32-20 and 20th in the race to Turin. The former NCAA singles champion at the University of Florida thrives in team atmospheres and his game works well on indoor hard courts. With Alcaraz vulnerable at the moment, this is a good opportunity for Shelton to pull off what would be a pretty big upset on paper.

Pick: Shelton in 2

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.