United Cup: Kazakhstan, China start on a winning note

Elena Rybakina led Kazakhstan to a key opening-day win over Spain at the United Cup in Perth on Friday.

After pulling her country back on to level terms with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the second match of the day, Rybakina teamed with fellow No.1 singles player Alexander Shevchenko to clinch the deciding mixed doubles over Pablo Carreno Busta and Yvonne Cavalle-Reimers 7-6(4), 6-7(2), [10-7].

The narrow mixed doubles win gave Kazakhstan the 2-1 victory over Spain in the first group-stage tie of the event.

“We’re pleased with the W today,” Kazakhstan’s captain Aleksandr Nedovyesov said. “Obviously it was a tough one.

“The team, the bench was important for the players to get behind them, to get as much positive vibes to them so they can stay calm, they can stay focused. I guess the teamwork was the key today.”

Kazakhstan will qualify for the quarterfinals from Group C if it defeats Greece in its second group match on Monday.

Elsewhere, Gao Xinyu notched a major upset at the United Cup in Perth, overcoming Beatriz Haddad Maia 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 to give China a 1-0 lead over Brazil in the opening rubber of the Group E tie.

The three-hour, 22-minute epic, which was the longest WTA singles match in tournament history, thoroughly contrasted Zhang Zhizhen’s 6-3, 6-0 triumph over Thiago Monteiro, which sealed the tie in China’s favour.

The No. 45 in the PIF ATP Rankings breezed past the Brazilian in just 54 minutes to improve to 2-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

China’s opening day triumph offers promise for what is to come for the Asian nation at this year’s United Cup. On its debut in 2024, Zhang and WTA No.5 Zheng led China to the quarterfinals, but with reigning champions Germany lurking in their group this year, the win over Brazil might just prove pivotal in its quest to emulate that form.

In the mixed doubles, Zhang Shuai and Zhang Zhizhen joined forces to defeat Carolina Alves and Rafael Matos 6-4, 7-5, completing a 3-0 sweep for China.