Greece and Germany are clashing in a winner-takes-all mixed doubles rubber after Alexander Zverev squared the United Cup quarter-final tie in Sydney.
Alexander Zverev has come to Germany’s rescue to send their United Cup quarter-final with Greece into a deciding mixed doubles rubber with an ice-cool win over Stefanos Tsitsipas.
In a heavyweight battle of the two best tennis players yet to win a grand slam title, Zverev prevailed 6-4 6-4 to level the best-of-three-match tie at 1-1 apiece in Sydney.
Maria Sakkari had given Greece a 1-0 lead with a crushing win over former Australian Open champion and world No.1 Angelique Kerber earlier on Friday night.
Sakkari blew Kerber off Ken Rosewall Arena in little more than an hour with a 6-0 6-3 demolition job to leave Greece one win away from a semi-final showdown on Saturday night with Team Australia.
That win will now need to come in the mixed doubles after Sakkari’s one-sided victory left Kerber’s Australian Open preparations in tatters.
Sakkari had lost three of her four previous career meetings with Kerber.
But those defeats came before her rise to the world’s top 10 and 35-year-old Kerber’s time out to start a family.
The world No.8’s clinical display offered Kerber a harsh reality check in the first event of her comeback from maternity leave. It follows previous losses this winless week against Caroline Garcia and Jasmine Paolini.
At one point, Kerber appeared set to suffer the first 6-0 6-0 double-bagel defeat of her illustrious career when Sakkari raced through the opening nine games.
But the German finally got on the scoreboard, then broke her Greek opponent in the very next game to briefly threaten a fightback.
Sakkari, though, steadied to win three of the next four games and take the match in 73 minutes.
“I was just very solid from the baseline, doing what I have to do,” Sakkari said.
“But of course I knew that Angie, because she’s very experienced, an amazing player, that she was going to find a way to come back. She was not going to give up.
“She’s too good for it just to give up, so I managed my nerves really well, especially in that second set.
“I’m very happy I gave that first point to my team.”
While Kerber must quickly regroup ahead of the season’s first grand slam starting in nine days, Sakkari is unbeaten – and yet to drop a set – in three singles matches this United Cup campaign.
Zverev is also unbeaten in the season-opening $15 million mixed teams event after following up must-win successes over Adrian Mannarino and Lorenzo Sonego to again keep Germany’s title hopes alive.
“I had to come out aggressive. I knew that,” the world No.7 said of his game plan to topple the fifth-ranked Tsitsipas for a fifth time in 14 encounters.
“He is one of the best, maybe the best aggressive players in the game. If he’s on the front foot, it’s extremely difficult to play against him.
“That’s why I have a not-so-good record against him because he is somebody that is difficult for me.
“But Germany and I needed that win and I’m happy about that.”
Source: AAP
