United Cup: Defending Champs Germany, China Qualify For Quarterfinals

Laura Siegemund, Alexander Zverev
Laura Siegemund, Alexander Zverev (photo: Tennis Australia/Matt Jelonek)

PERTH/SYDNEY/WASHINGTON, December 30, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)

With a berth in the United Cup quarterfinals already secured during singles, Germany’s Alexander Zverev and Laura Siegemund teamed to beat Zhang Zhizhen and Zhang Shuai of China, 6-2, 7-6 (3), in the deciding match to win Group E at RAC Arena in Perth Monday evening.

Zverev and Siegemund are undefeated in mixed doubles as a team, having won all five of their matches together. They converted two of six break points against the Chinese and won all 10 of their service games. Their victory improved defending champion Germany to 2-0 in this year’s United Cup competition. China (1-1) will also advance to the quarterfinal knockout round in Western Australia.

“Triple ZZZ is a very funny guy, we had a great singles and great mixed doubles match with Laura,” Zverev said in his on-court interview, describing the bubbling personality and on-court prowess of Zhang Zhizhen. “I’m happy that we’re in the quarterfinals and, actually, I’m happy that China is in the quarterfinals too. Congratulations to the Chinese team.”

Siegemund added: “It was a really great match. When you play for the first time after a while, you never really know what’s going to happen, and I think it was a great performance.”

Earlier, the World No. 2 Zverev overcame a slow start against the 45th-ranked Zhang. He rallied to earn a 2-6, 6-0, 6-2 victory in two hours and five minutes that clinched a quarterfinal berth for Team Germany.

Then, No. 175th-ranked Gao Xinyu of China, who was added to the Chinese team as a replacement for World No. 5 Zheng Qinwen, leveled the tie 1-1 with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 upset over 80th-ranked Siegemund.

In splitting the singles, both Germany and China qualified for the United Cup quarterfinals. However, by finishing at the top of Group E, Germany will face Group C winner Kazakhstan in the quarterfinal round, while China advances as the best runner-up team in Perth.

“I didn’t start off well,” Zverev admitted during his on-court interview. “I was missing more shots from my backhand side, which is normally the most stable. [Zhizhen] was also playing extremely well, so aggressive. He was not letting me into the match or find my rhythm.

“Then I pushed some balls back in the second set to get some rhythm from the baseline. Then I found my rhythm and I’m happy with my performance in the second and third sets.”

Zverev hit six aces, won 77 percent of his first-serve points, converted five of nine break points against Zhang and took advantage of 22 unforced errors. He outpointed his opponent 80-64.

Gao delivered in the pinch for China, winning for the second time in less than a week. Prior to the United Cup, the 27-year-old Gao had collected just one tour-level win, at Hua Hin last September. Now, she has two wins in Perth, including a three-set upset of World No. 17 Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil last Friday that lasted three hours and 22 minutes.

Swiatek wins twice for Poland

In her 2025 season debut, World No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland lifted her team to a 2-1 tie victory over Norway Monday evening in Sydney.

Swiatek opened with a solid 6-1, 6-0 win over No. 404-ranked Malene Helgø in 62 minutes at Ken Rosewall Arena, in which she won 88 percent of her first-serve points, converted five of 12 break points and outpointed her opponent 57-26. She won the first nine points of the match.

Afterward, during her on-court interview, Swiatek said she was happy with her performance. “It’s not easy to play for your country, sometimes the pressure is bigger. I’m really excited, like every year. I feel like I can take so much energy from that, from the people, from the fans. As you can see, as with every year, we filled out half the stadium with Polish people.”

Next, World No. 6 Casper Ruud earned a straight-set victory over World No. 16 Hubert Hurkacz, in a battle of Top-20 stars, 7-5, 6-3, in an hour and 23 minutes that drew Norway even with Poland and meant that mixed doubles would decide the outcome of the tie. Ruud saved both break points he faced and outpointed Hurkacz 68-51 to record his second win in Sydney. It was Hurkacz’s first match under new coach Nicolas Massu, who formerly coached Dominic Thiem.

In the decider, Poland behind Swiatek and Jan Zielinski held off Ruud and Ulrikke Eikeri, 6-3, 0-6, 10-8, to clinch the tie win and eliminate the Norwegians.

“It’s still the old year, so I’m happy to finish it like that,” Swiatek said. “I’m really happy that I could play with Jan and show our game. It was pretty tight, but I’m happy that at the end we stepped up the level and we finished it so Poland could win.”

Zielinski added: “Even though the second set was 0-6, we knew it was very close. It was a matter of single points, deciding points, 0-30 we had a couple times. We knew this could change at any moment. They had their momentum at some point, 8/7 serving, Casper, so we were not in the ideal position. But we stayed tough, we showed some good returns and best tennis when it mattered, so I’m happy with the outcome.”

On Wednesday, Poland (1-0) will face the Czech Republic (1-0) to wrap up Group B play. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals.

Boulter paces Great Britain over Argentina

Great Britain’s Katie Boulter scored a pair of wins that lifted the British to a 2-1 tie victory over Argentina in Sydney.

After the 24th-ranked Boulter defeated No. 100 Nadia Podoroska 6-2, 6-3 in an hour and 26 minutes behind seven aces open the Group F tie Monday afternoon, she teamed with Charles Broom to squeeze past Maria Lourdes Carle and Tomas Martin Etcheverry, 7-6 (4), 7-5, in one hour and 45 minutes to clinch the tie victory.

In between, the 39th-ranked Etcheverry hit 10 aces and saved eight of nine break points in his 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over No. 125 Billy Harris, who replaced injured World No. 15 Jack Draper on the British team.

“Very, very pleased with today. Last year I played so well in singles and didn’t get any mixed doubles rubbers, so I really wanted this one so badly,” Boulter said during her on-court interview. “I’m so glad we came out. I feel like we both played so great together considering it’s our first time. But I’m just thrilled to get the win.”

Added Broom: “[There] might have been a few nerves. But I feel like playing with Katie, she’s so experienced. She helped me through that in a number of ways. I thought we gelled so well together on the court, good energy and the crowd was great as well getting us through in a few tight moments, so that kind of settles you down. Looking forward to the next one against Australia.”

Great Britain (1-0), Argentina (1-1) and Australia (0-1) all still have a chance to win Group F and advance to the quarterfinals. The British will face Australia on Wednesday.

Shevchenko, Rybakina lead shutout against Greece

No. 78-ranked Alexander Shevchenko scored a major upset of World No. 11 Stefanos Tsitsipas, 6-4, 7-6 (0), then World No. 6 Elena Rybakina defeated Maria Sakkari to propel Kazakhstan to a 3-0 shutout over Greece and advancement to the quarterfinals from Group C. The loss eliminated Greece from the mixed teams competition.

Shevchenko, who outpointed Tsitsipas 81-66 during their one-hour and 52-minute match, broke the Greek star twice in four tries and took advantage of his opponent’s weak performance, which was punctuated by 40 unforced errors. It was the 24-year-old Shevchenko’s fourth career victory over a Top-20 opponent.

Later, Rybakina eased past the 32nd-ranked Sakkari, 6-4, 6-3, in 83 minutes behind seven aces. She outpointed her opponent 68-53. After staying on serve through the first nine games of the match, Rybakina won six straight games to secure the outcome.

Kazakhstan won the meaningless mixed doubles match to complete the shutout as Zhibek Kulambayeva and team captain Aleksandr Nedovyesov defeat Despina Papamichail and Petros Tsitsipas, 2-6, 6-3, 10-6.

“I think [Stefanos] was not at his best today but still I played really well and I found the moments to win the match,” Shevchenko said in his on-court interview. “It will definitely go in my record as one of my best wins.”

Around the United Cup

In a winner-takes-all mixed doubles rubber early Monday in Perth, Taylor Fritz and Coco Gauff of the United States pulled off a hard-fought 7-6 (2), 7-5 victory over Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Fernandez, which gave the Americans a 2-1 triumph in Group A. Although Fritz and Gauff lost a break lead in both of the sets, they eked out the victory.

“Really happy with how we played today in the mixed,” Gauff said afterward. “I felt we got better the longer the match went. We had a lot of chances and finally we were able to stick ’em when it mattered.”

Fritz added: “After the way I lost my singles match it would have been really tough to go home today with a mixed doubles loss today as well. Thank you Coco for carrying the team and we got it done.”

On Tuesday afternoon, the United States (1-0) will face Croatia (0-1) at RAC Arena in Perth. The United States will advance to the quarterfinals against China with a tie victory. A loss will result in a three-way tie for Group A at 1-1 between the United States, Croatia and Canada. It would come down to a series of tiebreakers that would determine which team would advance.

Monday’s United Cup results

Tuesday’s United Cup order of play

By the numbers

Alexander Zverev of Germany, who has opened up the 2025 season with a pair of victories over Thiago Monteiro of Brazil and Zhang Zhizhen of China to extend his singles record at the United Cup to 6-3 (0-2 in 2023, 4-1 in 2024), led the ATP Tour in aces (797) and tie-break wins (31-21) during the 2024 season.

“Quotable …”

“I always just start the year good after preseason, so I’m happy also here with two wins. Of course, I’m not at my best yet. I’m happy that it’s still not the best. Hopefully it’s going to come closer to the Australian Open. But overall very happy with the way I played.”

– World No. 6 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, during her team’s post-match news conference after defeating Greece 3-0, on how she feels after two matches – both wins.

 

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