Germany, the 2024 United Cup champions, made a strong winning start to their Group F campaign, opening their series in convincing fashion against the Netherlands on Sunday in Sydney, with comfortable wins from both Eva Lys and Alexander Zverev.
It was difficult to get a rhythm in the first set. Once I got the opportunities I did well and I’m very happy with the win. Honestly, I think my serve was okay. Everything else was hard to judge because there weren’t many long rallies, there wasn’t really much rhythm, but a win is a win. Alexander Zverev
Ranking wise, the Germans were clear favorites and it was Lys, making his debut in the mixed team competition, who set the tone with an emphatic 6-2 6-2 win over Dutch Suzan Lamens, before Zverev followed with a dominant performance that included a bagel against Tallon Greekpoor, 7-5 6-0.
Lys, ranked No. 49 in the world, finished last year as Germany’s No. 1 player after a breakthrough season, and the 23-year-old cemented her status from the start, earning an early break that quickly put her in control, an advantage she did not relinquish.
The Kiev-born German came into the match having lost her only previous meeting against Lamens at WTA Tour level, in 2024 in Osaka, but she remained at the helm for most of the match.
After the two exchanged service breaks in the first five games, Lys won a pair of huge games to establish a 5-2 lead, and barely looked back from there.
She had denied Lames a game point to make it 3-3, before smashing her own third break point in the sixth game, then digging down a follow-up hold from 15-40 to lead 5-2.
In total, 9 of the match’s 14 games went to deuce, but Lys won seven, with the most important one coming at 1-1 in the second set, with the German ahead as she shook off an injury.
After taking a medical timeout for blisters when leading 5-2 in the opener, she pushed through another fall that shook her knee.
Lamens struggled with her serve, landing only 54% of first deliveries and winning just 42% of those points, which was well below Lys’ first serve percentage of 74% and 60% success rate.
© Brendon Thorne/Getty Images
Lys’s main weakness in the first set was her second serve, with which she won only 22% of the points, but she addressed that problem early in the second set, and after saving an early break point and missing a few chances in the second game, she played with more confidence, took control of the rallies and remained more consistent against the increasingly erratic Dutch.
“As soon as I entered the field, I saw how many people were watching… I was actually quite nervous,” Lys later admitted. “First of all, I was definitely running a marathon with Suzan, I was definitely very good in the most important points.
“I feel like I played quite simply, and not too aggressively, and I feel like that was the key,” she added, saying her physical problems “definitely could have been worse.”
A break in the fourth game opened the door for the German, who maintained her lead and eventually closed out the match after an exciting final stretch in one hour and 39 minutes.
Lys showed strong composure on key points, saving 5 of 7 break points and converting 6 of her 13 break chances to put German ahead 1-0.
Germany’s Alexander Zverev secured the draw victory against the Netherlands on Sunday with a dominant victory over Tallon Greek Spoor
© Brendon Thorne/Getty Images
The following men’s singles saw Zverev take on Greek track in what was expected to be a tough encounter for the world number 3, against a rival who had defeated him in their previous encounters, including a win for the Dutchman at Indian Wells in 2025, but the German put in a much more impressive performance this time, winning the last eight matches in a row to confirm his dominance.
However, the opening stages were very evenly matched, with both players comfortably holding serve and the score reaching 5-5 without either man facing a break point, as both players achieved a winning percentage above 85% on the first try.
The turning point came when Greekpoor, under pressure at 5-6, had to rely heavily on his second serve, allowing Zverev to capitalize, and the German converted his first break point chance of the match in the opener, 7-5.
“In the first set it was difficult to get rhythm,” Zverev said in his on-court interview. “Once I got the opportunities I did well and I’m very happy with the win.
“I think my serve was OK, to be honest,” he added with a laugh. “Everything else was hard to judge because there weren’t many long rallies and there wasn’t really much rhythm, but a win is a win.”
The second set was one-sided as Zverev raised his level significantly, dominating on serve and dictating the game from the baseline.
The German only conceded 7 points in the entire set, while Greekpoor lost all effectiveness on his serve, winning only 2 service points and generating no real resistance upon return.
Zverev sealed the win with a bagel second set, closing the match with 15 aces and winning an impressive 89% of points behind his first serve.
The 28-year-old now leads Greek Spoor 9-2 in their head-to-head series.
Alexander Zverev teamed up with Laura Siegemund to give Germany a 3-0 sweep after the Group F mixed doubles match against Tallon Greekpoor & Demi Schuurs on Sunday
© Brendon Thorne/Getty Images
The tie was secured, 2-0. Zverev teamed up with Laura Siegemund to complete a clean sweep with a 6-3 6-2 mixed-doubles win over Greekpoor & Demi Schuurs.
Germany will take on Poland on Tuesday in a repeat of the 2024 final, which the champions won 2-1.
Tallon Greekpoor is also the player-captain of the Dutch team
© Brendon Thorne/Getty Images
#Sydney #Germany #beats #Netherlands #opening #match #United #Cup #Poland