Elena Rybakina powered Kazakhstan into the quarter-finals of the United Cup mixed team tournament on Monday, securing a commanding 6-4, 6-3 victory over Maria Sakkari of Greece.
The win followed Alexander Shevchenko’s stunning upset of Stefanos Tsitsipas, propelling Kazakhstan to a dominant Group C triumph.
Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, used a strong finish in the second set to seal her win, overcoming an early break from Sakkari.
With her eyes set on next month’s Australian Open, the 25-year-old showcased her form under the watchful eye of her new coach, former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic.
“We’ve only been working together for a few weeks, and this is our first official tournament,” Rybakina shared. “He’s a fun guy and brings valuable experience both as a player and coach. I’m happy to work with him, and hopefully, we’ll achieve good results together.”
Earlier in the day, Shevchenko, 24, delivered one of the tournament’s biggest upsets by defeating world No. 11 Tsitsipas 6-4, 7-6.
The Greek star appeared unwell and error-prone, but Shevchenko capitalized to claim a career-defining win.
“It will definitely go in my record as one of my best wins,” Shevchenko said. “He wasn’t at his best, but I played really well and found the key moments to win.”
Meanwhile, in Sydney, Britain edged Argentina 2-1 in a Group F showdown, with Katie Boulter and Charles Broom clinching victory in the mixed doubles.
The duo defeated Maria Lourdes Carle and Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6, 7-5 in a hard-fought rubber.
Boulter had earlier given Britain a 1-0 lead with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 win over Nadia Podoroska. Argentina briefly leveled the tie when Etcheverry battled through a stomach issue to defeat Billy Harris 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 before Britain sealed the decider.
As the tournament progresses, the United Cup continues to provide thrilling matches and invaluable preparation for the upcoming Australian Open.
