Stefanos Tsitsipas backed up his capability to level the three United Cup finals at 1-1. Defeating Croatian Borna Coric was a way to get away from the memories of 2020, when Coric’s saves left him off the field. That phase will no longer haunt him, for he has ensured that the game goes on despite Papamichail and Sakellaridis losing their respective matches against the Croatian talent.
The final tally stood at 6-0 for a cleaner first set by Tsitsipas, followed by 6-7 (4-7) and 7-5 in Perth last evening.
Greece was on the verge of seeing the disappointment in the decision. The board inched to 6-5 after three missed points went Croatia’s way. Greece refused to return with its heads bowed and standing at its feet. “I just didn’t want to lose,” said Tsitsipas, who battled through the phase in search of a comeback.
The 2020 US Open was in the process of formation. Tsitsipas’s fighting spirit prevented this from occurring. Greece leads Croatia by one point with a score of 3-2 in Perth. The winners of all three city finals will go to the semi-finals alongside the best-performing losers in the new mixed-team competition to be held in Sydney.
Greece saw Sakkari return with a win over Martic with a final tally of 6-3 and 6-3. Tsitsipas had a little weight on his shoulder to level the evening after Papamichail lost to Vekic on a poor showing of 6-2 and 6-0. The third win comes from the pair of Sakkari and Tsitsipas, who locked horns with Martic and Gojo. Greece clinched the victory with scores of 7-6 and 6-4.
Meanwhile, the US and Great Britain took their fight to 4-1 in favor of the US. Fritz missed the chance to claim the final deciding set for a clean sheet on the board. The final tally was 6-4, 5-7, and 6-4. Keys, Pegula, and Tiafoe, held the fort with their victories against Swan, Dart, and Evans, respectively.
Pegula/Fritz and Dart/Evans also had a close fight. Fritz refused to carry the baggage of disappointment in order to give the best that he could. Pegula knew her potential, which helped her win the solo performance. It also worked in the pair, as evidenced by the 6-4 score in each of the two sets.
The encounter between Poland and Italy was a close one. It was also a wild ride for tennis betting. The final score in Brisbane was 3-2 in favor of Poland, with Swiatek and Hurkacz providing the decisive edge. Hurkacz, like Swiatek, refused to bear the burden of his loss against Berrettini.
Greece has previously won 4-1 in Perth against Belgium. Croatia won 3-2 against France. The two teams finally came face-to-face for an evening in Greece. Croatian teammates now look to fight back.
