PERTH/WASHINGTON, December 27, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)
A new tennis season began Friday before the old year ended. Talk about a packed calendar! That’s tennis being tennis.
”Still ’24, but it’s next season, yeah,” quipped China’s Zhang Zhizhen, after seeing his first action of the new season.
It’s summertime in Australia – and that’s where the action is.
The 2025 United Cup got underway in Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, as Kazakhstan did battle against Spain in Group C during the day session at RAC Arena, followed in the evening by Group E action featuring China against Brazil. Kazakhstan and China emerged with tie victories on opening day.
Rybakina plays key role in leading Kazakhstan to victory
It didn’t take long for World No. 6 Elena Rybakina to show why she’s Kazakhstan’s most valuable player. On Friday afternoon, with her team trailing its opening-day tie against Spain 1-0, following her teammate Alexander Shevchenko‘s 6-2, 6-1 loss Pablo Carreño Busta, Rybakina went to work.
First, Rybakina pulled her country level with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, in which the Kazakh saved nine of the 10 break points she faced and broke her opponent four times in five opportunities. Rybakina outpointed the 54th-ranked Bouzas Maneiro 68-40 during the one-hour, 18-minute match, by relying on her power game.
A win on her debut ✅
Rybakina levels it for Team Kazakhstan #UnitedCup pic.twitter.com/5vkjF4Ea5H
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) December 27, 2024
In her first match with her new coach, 2001 Wimbledon champion and former Novak Djokovic mentor Goran Ivanisevic, Rybakina dominated her match against Bouzas Maneiro, whom she was facing for the first time.
“It was a really tough one; first matches are always difficult,” Rybakina admitted during her on-court interview. “It’s not easy to get used to [it] that quick, but I’m really happy with the way I played.”
Rybakina was asked to describe her new partnership with Ivanisevic. She said: “We did preparation for a couple weeks, and now [we’re] still getting to know each other better. There is a lot of things I can improve, I think. We’re working a little bit on everything. … Slowly, I think, we’ll see the result of the work.”
Next, Rybakina teamed Shevchenko to clinch the deciding mixed doubles match over Carreño Busta and Yvonne Cavalle-Reimers, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (2), 10-7, in two hours and two minutes. It was Kazakhstan’s first-ever United Cup tie triumph.
OFF AND RUNNING
Kazakhstan wins their first ever #UnitedCup tie pic.twitter.com/JUI9AxeNtm
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) December 27, 2024
During Kazakhstan’s post-match news conference, team captain Aleksandr Nedovyesov said he was pleased with his team’s victory. “Obviously, it was a tough one. The key was probably to stay together until the end. It was a lot of chances, a lot of opportunities, to be honest,” he said.
“I felt like, watching from the outside, the score probably shouldn’t be 7-6, 6-7, 10-7. It should be like 6-3, 6-4, as for me. In the moments that you could not capitalize on the chances, you need to find a way to stay positive.
“That’s why the team, the bench was important for the players to get behind them, to get as much positive vibes to them so they can stay calm, they can stay focused.”
Nedovyesov added: “I guess the teamwork was the key today. Like I said, we’re really pleased with the W today and looking forward to our next match against Greece.”
Team Kazakhstan for the win #UnitedCup pic.twitter.com/4yt9V2Icth
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) December 27, 2024
Carreño Busta, who missed significant portions of the past two seasons while dealing with a right elbow injury, began the tie with a straight-set win over the 78th-ranked Shevchenko that lasted just 64 minutes. The Spaniard outpointed his opponent 54-28.
“I didn’t expect this level,” Carreño Busta said during his on-court interview after defeating Shevchenko for the second time in two meetings. “It is very important in the beginning to be focused. In the beginning, I was very nervous but that’s normal. After that, I tried to be solid and tried to be a little more aggressive than [I was] in the beginning.”
Team Spain leads 1-0 #UnitedCup pic.twitter.com/FG0FZXX7Ut
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) December 27, 2024
Kazakhstan will face Greece on Monday with a quarterfinal berth on the line.
China earns 3-0 sweep over Brazil
Meanwhile, 175th-ranked Gao Xinyu of China pulled off a major upset by overcoming World No. 17 Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5, in three hours and 22 minutes – the longest WTA singles match in United Cup history – which gave China a 1-0 lead in their Group E tie. It set the stage for what was to come for the Chinese, who went on to beat Brazil 3-0.
Gao, a replacement for Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, came into the match with just one previous tour-level win in her career. Facing a Top 50 player for the first time, Gao played in visible discomfort for half of the match with her left thigh heavily taped from during the second set. Haddad Maia dealt with a bout of cramps, when serving at 4-3 in the final set. She resorted to underarm serving and was broken, which gave Gao an opportunity to rally and overcome her opponent.
What. A. Match.
Xinyu Gao claims her first Top-20 victory to give Team China a 1-0 lead against Team Brazil.#UnitedCup pic.twitter.com/KLhJFQlixc
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) December 27, 2024
By the end, Gao had broken Haddad Maia four times in 10 tries and outpointed her 109-99.
“I have no idea what’s going on right now,” Gao said in her on-court interview. “My brain was empty and my whole body was cramping.”
Then, in contrast to the Gao-Haddad Maia tussle, China clinched the tie in the next match as 45th-ranked Zhang Zhizhen sailed past No. 109 Thiago Monteiro, 6-3, 6-0, in just 54 minutes. Zhang fired 10 aces, won 87 percent of his first-serve points and outpointed the Brazilian 52-22.
Victory is sweet
Zhang Zhizhen defeats Monteiro to give Team China an unassailable lead.#UnitedCup pic.twitter.com/IqeHqpYz3C
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) December 27, 2024
“I can understand how much pressure [Gao] took [off],” Zhang said afterward, during his on-court interview, before teaming up with Zhang Shuai to capture the mixed doubles point and 3-0 sweep of Brazil with a 77-minute 6-4, 7-5 win over Carolina Alves and Rafael Matos. “I had a lot of pressure in the same situation last year. I won a tough three-setter, and [Zheng] Qinwen had a high ranking. It was because of my team, they did a great job.”
For now, China can enjoy the celebration of their sweep of Brazil. Next, the Chinese will play defending champion Germany Monday evening.
Looking ahead
On Saturday, the United Cup spreads to Sydney, the capital of New South Wales and one of Australia’s largest cities, when France faces Switzerland in Group D, followed by Australia hosting Argentina in Group F. In Perth, Canada will play Croatia in Group A and Greece will oppose Spain in Group C.
Saturday’s United Cup order of play
By the numbers
Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil is making her third United Cup appearance. After posting a 2-0 win-loss record in 2023, she went 1-1 in 2024 with her lone loss coming to former WTA World No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland.
“Quotable …”
“Look, it’s no secret it’s one of my favorite courts to play on. It probably has to do with me growing up, training here at Homebush, watching at that stage the Apia International, watching the matches, the players playing on that court, and wishing to be able to compete on that court one day.
“I’ve had some great memories here. It’s been, you know, some very good matches where I’ve gotten up for and I played some of my best tennis.
“It’s just playing at home, so that’s why it’s so special.”
– Alex de Minaur of Australia, during his team’s pre-tournament news conference, on why he enjoys so much playing on Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney.
