Alexander Zverev found redemption as Germany put an end to Australia’s United Cup journey at Sydney’s Ken Rosewall Arena. Despite losing in the singles match against Alex de Minaur, the world’s sixth-ranked player bounced back to join forces with Laura Siegemund and clinch a 2-1 win in the deciding rubber of the tie.
Germany will now take on Poland in Sunday’s final after Zverev and Siegemund came out on top in the mixed doubles after a marathon 28-point match tie-break to eventually edge out Matt Ebden and the women’s world doubles No 1, Storm Hunter, 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (2-7), 15-13.
The semi-final match ultimately came down to the mixed doubles event, following Angelique Kerber’s victory over Ajla Tomljanovic in the opening women’s singles match with a score of 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (9-7). Alex de Minaur then evened the score by defeating Alexander Zverev, adding to his recent streak of defeating top-ranked players. Despite initially trailing, de Minaur rallied back to win the match 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 against the tall world No. 6 player. This win also marks de Minaur’s first time entering the Top 10 of the ATP rankings, after having only won one out of their previous seven meetings.
De Minaur expressed his satisfaction with his win against Zverev, stating that it is a significant achievement after all the effort he has put in. However, he also recognizes that there is still more work to be done and that he will continue to strive for improvement. He looks forward to the upcoming Australian summer with excitement.
Zverev faced another tough opponent, having recently beaten 24-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic and big-hitting American Taylor Fritz. The deliberate and passionate German player secured a late break in the first set and maintained a strong lead. However, De Minaur put up a strong fight in the second set, surviving an intense 11-minute battle to hold his serve at 2-2. He then went on to break Zverev and even the match.
After gaining confidence, the Australian player immediately took control in the third set and ultimately won the match. De Minaur commented, “I narrowly escaped in the second set and that shifted the momentum in my favor. I just tried to capitalize on it.”
His calmness under pressure was in direct contrast to Tomljanovic, who had earlier slumped to a loss at the hands of a three-time grand slam champion, albeit one just returning to the game after from the birth of her first child. The Australian was in cruise control through the opening set but imploded in the second, eventually recovering to secure a tie-break in the third before losing out after wasting two match points. “It’s my first singles win since coming back and it’s a great feeling,” said the German.
At the Brisbane International tournament, Jordan Thompson, ranked 43rd in the world, lost a close semi-final match against Grigor Dimitrov with a score of 6-3, 7-5. Despite defeating Rafael Nadal the previous night after a grueling four-hour match that ended at midnight, the 29-year-old Australian did not give up easily and pushed his opponent to play some exceptional shots. This secured Dimitrov a spot in the final for the third time in Brisbane.
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In the final match, Dimitrov, ranked 14th in the world, will face off against Holger Rune. The top seed, who is 20 years old, is aiming for his fifth ATP title. He earned a hard-fought victory of 6-4, 7-6 (7-0) against Roman Safiullin. Rune lost an early break in the second set to the skilled Russian, causing him to angrily break his racket. However, he was able to bounce back and break back. Rune then successfully defended more break points and ultimately dominated in a flawless tie-break.
Rune stated that staying in Melbourne until the final day of the Australian Open would put him under significantly more pressure to accomplish his goals. He sees tomorrow’s match as an opportunity to test his ability to handle the pressure.
