Alexander Zverev went into raptures. After reaching the quarter-finals of the United Cup, the world number two spoke about the team spirit in the German tennis team and aimed for a successful defense of the title.
“We do something together every day,” said the 27-year-old about the special feature of the team competition. “The support from the bank is incredible. We want to continue riding the wave from last year.”
Zverev led the German team to victory in the group and into the first knockout round in a 2-1 win over China. In the singles, he showed an improvement in his performance after losing the first set against the Chinese outsider Zhang Zhizhen and ultimately won 2:6, 6:0, 6:2.
The jump to the quarter-finals was already perfect, on New Year’s Day we will face Kazakhstan, who are also still unbeaten.
Strong performance in mixed doubles
Laura Siegemund lost in her singles match to Gao Xinyu 1:6, 6:3, 3:6. In the final mixed doubles, Zverev and Siegemund showed a top performance with 6:2, 7:6 (7:3) against Zhang Zhizhen and Zhang Shuai, especially in the first round.
“It was a great match. We made it look easier than it was,” said Siegemund. “We are happy to be in the quarterfinals,” said Zverev. At the start, the German selection won 3-0 against Brazil.
For many tennis professionals, the United Cup is the start of the new season and at the same time an important preparation for the Australian Open, which begins in mid-January 2025.