Germany knock Brazil out of United Cup; Sramkova, Bouzkova advance in Brisbane

Germany took a solid first step on Sunday in defence of their United Cup title with world number two Alexander Zverev and Laura Siegemund powering them past Brazil, who were knocked out of the mixed-team tournament.

Zverev assured the win by dominating Thiago Monteiro 6-4, 6-4 after Siegemund began with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 victory over Beatriz Haddad Maia, who is ranked 63 places above her at 17.

The result in Perth eliminated the South Americans from group play after a previous loss to China. Germany face the Chinese on Monday with the winner advancing to the quarter-finals.

In Sydney, women’s world number four Jasmine Paolini crushed Belinda Bencic 6-1, 6-1 in just 57 minutes to ensure Italy beat Switzerland.

Men’s world number six Casper Ruud, meanwhile, survived a tough examination from Tomas Machac, but his efforts were in vain as Norway crashed to the Czech Republic.

Zverev broke Monteiro in the opening game of each set, preventing him from threatening in the 80-minute contest.

The one-two singles punch left Germany in an unfamiliar position at the tournament it won last year.

Siegemund fought for more than two-and-a-half hours to subdue Haddad Maia, winning five first-set games in a row before stumbling to lose the second set.

The German came out ahead after three consecutive service breaks late in the final set for a 5-4 lead and secured her win on a first match point.

Paolini had a sensational 2024, finishing runner-up at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and she carried that form into her first match of the new season.

Bencic, herself a one-time world number four, is on the comeback after having a baby and was completely outclassed.

Her teammate Flavio Cobolli had earlier defeated Dominic Stricker 6-3, 7-6 (6/2) to give Italy a 1-0 lead.

Ruud, the highest-ranked Norwegian in history, was put through his paces over nearly three hours before downing Machac 7-6 (7/6), 5-7, 6-4.

His win levelled the tie 1-1 after Karolina Muchova got the Czechs off to a flying start with a 6-2, 6-2 romp over Malene Helgo.

Machac and Muchova teamed up in the deciding mixed doubles to beat Viktor Durasovic and Ulrikke Eikeri 6-4, 6-4 with Ruud opting out after needing treatment on his left quad during the singles. Ruud broke 25th-ranked Machac early in the third set to assume control, but he will be concerned at facing nine break points through the match.

Meanwhile, the Czech Republic’s Marie Bouzkova outlasted Australian wildcard Talia Gibson 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-3 in a three hour marathon in the opening round of the Brisbane International Sunday.

World number 44 Bouzkova was expected to have a comfortable opener against the 20-year-old Australian, but was pushed all the way by the big-hitting Gibson.

She will now play seventh seeded Latvian Jelena Ostapenko in the second round of the season-opening tournament.

“She has so much power so I was behind in a lot of the rallies,” Bouzkova said.

“I’m just happy that I could get a lot of balls back and fight with everything I have.”

In other matches, McCartney Kessler of the United States pulled off an upset when she downed Poland’s world number 38 Magda Linette in straight sets 6-4, 6-4.

The 25-year-old American will now play 15th seed Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in the second round.

Mexico’s Renata Zarazua set up a second round clash against world number one Aryna Sabalenka with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova.

Australian Maya Joint beat fellow countrywoman Maddison Inglis 6-3, 6-4, Armenian Elina Avanesyan downed Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 and Russia’s Anna Blinkova was too good for Czech player Sara Bejlek 6-1, 7-6 (7/5).

Agence France-Presse