Zverev defeats Djokovic to help Hawks to World Tennis League win
Hawks are top of the World Tennis League after two days of action
Alexander Zverev helped the Hawks to a Day 2 triumph over the Falcons in the World Tennis League by defeating Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 – resulting in a 30-27 total victory.
Although it is an exhibition event, it will give the German plenty of reassurance as he continues his comeback from torn ankle ligaments followed by a bone oedema.
In a bizarre women’s singles, Falcons’ Aryna Sabalenka handed Elena Rybakina a first-set bagel in just 16 minutes.
But the Wimbledon champion fought back to win the match in a tiebreak, 0-6, 6-1, 10-6, narrowing the Falcons’ advantage going into the final match of the day to 20-18.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova had earlier replaced Anett Kontaveit in the Hawks mixed doubles with Dominic Thiem, who faced the Falcons’ Paula Badosa and Grigor Dimitrov. The Hawks came back from a set down to win 5-7, 6-3, 10-4 in the third-set tiebreak.