Kazakhstan stunned defending champions Germany to book their spot in the United Cup semi-finals, with a 2-0 victory in Perth on Wednesday.
Elena Rybakina set the tone, delivering a dominant 6-3, 6-1 win over Laura Siegemund in the opening match of the quarter-finals.
Germany’s hopes took a further hit when Alexander Zverev, the world number 12, was forced to withdraw due to a bicep strain just minutes before his scheduled match.
In Zverev’s absence, Daniel Masur stepped in but fell short against Alexander Shevchenko, who claimed a hard-fought 6-7, 6-2, 6-2 victory to seal the tie for Kazakhstan.
“It was tough in this heat. He made me run a lot and was more aggressive,” Shevchenko said after the grueling encounter. The Kazakh star overcame early unforced errors to dominate the final two sets with a commanding display.
In Sydney, world number two Iga Swiatek led Poland to a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic, ensuring their progression to the United Cup quarter-finals.
Tomas Machac initially put the Czech team ahead with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Hubert Hurkacz. However, Swiatek leveled the tie with a gritty 6-3, 6-4 triumph against Karolina Muchova.
Swiatek then returned for the deciding mixed doubles alongside Hurkacz, and the Polish pair clinched a 7-6, 6-3 win over Machac and Muchova to secure the tie.
“Honestly, I knew they were going to play amazing tennis because they always have strong doubles teams,” Swiatek said. “But we believed in our game and led from the start.”
The victory also marked a milestone for Swiatek, who became the first player to achieve 10 singles wins at the United Cup.
