GERMANY ADVANCES TO SEMIS AT UNITED CUP
Alexander Zverev won both his singles and mixed doubles matches against Greece on Friday to lead Germany into the United Cup semifinals against Australia.
Zverev and Laura Siegemund beat Maria Sakkari and Petros Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-3 in the deciding mixed doubles to clinch Germany’s 2-1 victory after Zverev beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4 in singles. Sakkari beat former Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber 6-0, 6-3 to give Greece the early lead.
France will play Poland in the other semifinal match on Saturday. The final is set for Sunday, also at Sydney’s Ken Rosewall Arena.
Sakkari had lost three of her four previous career meetings with Kerber. But those defeats came before her rise to the world’s top 10 and 35-year-old Kerber’s break to start a family.
“I was just very solid from the baseline, doing what I have to do,” Sakkari said. “But of course I knew that Angie, because she’s very experienced, an amazing player, that she was going to find a way to come back. I managed my nerves really well, especially in that second set.”
Zverev is unbeaten in the season-opening mixed teams event.
“I had to come out aggressive. I knew that,” No. 7-ranked Zverev said of his game plan to beat Tsitsipas for the fifth time in 14 matches.
“He is one of the best — maybe the best — aggressive players in the game,” Zverev said. “If he’s on the front foot, it’s extremely difficult to play against him.
“That’s why I have a notso-good record against him because he is somebody that is difficult for me. But Germany and I needed that win and I’m happy about that.”
GAUFF ADVANCES IN AUCKLAND CLASSIC
U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff moved into the semifinals of the Auckland Tennis Classic on Friday with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Varvara Gracheva of France on a rainy quarterfinals day in Auckland.
The top-seeded player and defending champion needed only 24 minutes to win the first set and took the match in 52 minutes. Gauff hasn’t dropped a set at the tournament and didn’t drop a set in winning the event last year.
Rain delayed the start of the match and was threatening at the end. But Gauff rushed to victory with dark clouds gathering, sending down five aces.
“I thought I served really well, probably the best so far at this tournament which is something I was really working on in the off-season.,” Gauff said. “Last year there was a lot more rain so I was glad I was able to finish my match.”
Gauff will play fellow American Emma Navarro in the semifinals. The fourth-seeded Navarro beat Petra Martic of France 6-4, 4-3.
Navarro lost to Martic 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 when the pair met in Cincinnati in August. She turned the tables Friday with an authoritative display, putting 80 per cent of first serves in play and attacking Martic, particularly on her second serve.
“Tennis always keeps us on our toes so you’ve got to be ready for things like rain delays,” Navarro said. I was happy with my performance today, played my most comfortable tennis out here.”
Navarro rushed to a 4-0 lead in the second set before Martic claimed a service break and the match went with serve until Navarro took the match on her third match point.
China’s Wang Xiyu beat Diane Parry of France 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4 in another quarterfinal.