Swiatek Dominates as Tsitsipas Stumbles in United Cup

Posted : 31 December 2024

Iga Swiatek kicked off her season with an impressive win at the United Cup, easily defeating Norway's Malene Helgo 6-1, 6-0 in her first match since news broke of her one-month doping ban. The five-time Grand Slam champion swiftly shook off any nerves, showcasing her signature dominance on court. After the victory, Swiatek expressed satisfaction with her performance, acknowledging the added pressure of representing her country but also emphasizing her joy in being able to play tennis.

Despite the controversy surrounding her previous doping violation, where she tested positive for trimetazidine, Swiatek was cleared of any intentional wrongdoing and received a light sanction from the International Tennis Integrity Agency.

Meanwhile, Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas had a difficult day, suffering a shock defeat to Alexander Shevchenko in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (7/0). Tsitsipas, who has struggled with his form recently and saw his ranking drop from No. 3 to No. 11, was hoping for a fresh start at the United Cup but was outplayed by the 78th-ranked Shevchenko, who called the victory one of the best of his career.

Shevchenko capitalized on Tsitsipas’s sluggish performance, securing the win with a dominant tiebreaker in the second set.

Kazakhstan advanced to the knockout stages after Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, overcame a late scare to defeat Maria Sakkari of Greece 6-4, 6-3. Rybakina, who is now working with Novak Djokovic’s former coach, Goran Ivanisevic, took control of the match early, but Sakkari mounted a brief comeback, winning three consecutive games in the second set.

Rybakina, however, held firm and sealed the win on her third match point after Sakkari mishit an overhead. Rybakina’s triumph helped secure Kazakhstan’s progress into the quarterfinals.

In other matches, defending champions Germany, led by Alexander Zverev, triumphed 2-1 over China to also reach the quarterfinals. Zverev recovered from a poor start against Zhang Zhizhen, winning 2-6, 6-0, 6-2. Although Gao Xinyu stunned Laura Siegemund with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win, Zverev and Siegemund paired up to win the decisive mixed doubles match 6-2, 7-6 (7/3).

In Sydney, Britain, with Katie Boulter leading the charge, defeated Argentina. Boulter's 6-2, 6-3 victory over Nadia Podoroska helped set up a deciding mixed doubles match after Billy Harris lost to Tomas Martin Etcheverry. Boulter and Charles Broom ultimately sealed the tie for Britain with a 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 win in the doubles.

Swiatek Dominates as Tsitsipas Stumbles in United Cup

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