Carlos Alcaraz saved two match points Saturday, beating Taylor Fritz 6-3, 4-6, 13-11 in a deciding tie-break at the Laver Cup in London. The victory gave Team Europe a 7-5 lead against Team World heading into the final day.
Alcaraz, ranked third in the world, avoided consecutive singles losses for the first time in 18 months. The Spaniard's last singles match came in a quarter-final loss to Ben Shelton at the U.S. Open.
Facing match point at 8-9 down in the tie-break, Alcaraz hit an ace to level the score. He saved a second match point with a drop shot, then converted his third match point when Fritz failed to return another drop shot.
Alcaraz said after the match: "The drop shot is part of my game. In those really close and important moments, I tried to use it because it was a really good weapon for me in this match."
Alcaraz recorded 42 winners to Fritz's 20.
Earlier Saturday, Alex de Minaur came back from a set down to defeat Alexander Zverev 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 11-9. American debutant Learner Tien beat Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 2-6, 10-7.
Zverev then partnered with Casper Ruud to win doubles, beating Alexander Bublik and Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 7-6 (9-7).
The Laver Cup is decided when a team reaches 13 points. Each match win on the final day is worth three points. Team Europe is seeking its sixth title. Team World, the defending champion, is aiming for its third.
