Kazakhstan stunned Germany in the United Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday, ending their title defense. Meanwhile, the United States secured their spot in the semifinals with a strong victory over China in the mixed-team tennis tournament.
Elena Rybakina gave Kazakhstan an early lead, dominating Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-1 in the opening match of the knockout stages.
Germany faced a setback when Alexander Zverev withdrew minutes before his match due to a bicep strain. His replacement, Daniel Masur, started well but couldn’t maintain the momentum. Alexander Shevchenko overcame a shaky start to defeat Masur 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-2, clinching the tie for Kazakhstan with an unassailable 2-0 lead.
Shevchenko recovered impressively after the first set, reducing unforced errors and showcasing a commanding performance.
In another quarterfinal clash, Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz led the United States to victory over China. Gauff defeated Zhang Shuai 7-6(4), 6-2 in a match where she overcame early struggles and double faults. Despite nine double faults, Gauff minimized errors and capitalized on her opponent’s 40 unforced mistakes.
“I felt like the harder I hit, the harder she was hitting back. It was a challenge to get her on the defensive,” Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, said after the match.
Taylor Fritz secured the semifinal spot for the U.S., beating Zhang Zhizhen 6-4, 6-4, rendering the mixed doubles unnecessary.
Elsewhere, Iga Swiatek led Poland to the quarterfinals with a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in Group B. Tomas Machac gave the Czech team an early advantage by beating Hubert Hurkacz 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.
However, Swiatek leveled the score by overcoming Karolina Muchova 6-3, 6-4. Swiatek then teamed up with Hurkacz to defeat the Muchova-Machac duo 7-6(3), 6-3 in the decisive mixed doubles, ensuring Poland’s place in the last eight.
“I knew they’d play great tennis, but we had the game to win it,” said Swiatek, who became the first player to achieve 10 singles victories in the United Cup.
Meanwhile, Britain also advanced to the quarterfinals as Group F winners. Katie Boulter secured their spot with a commanding 6-2, 6-1 win over Australia’s Olivia Gadecki.
