In the quarter-finals of the United Cup, the Greek team, led by Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari, will face off against the German team, represented by Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber.
Both teams were able to advance to the knockout rounds despite finishing with a 1-1 record in the Sydney groups. Greece finished at the top of Group B, while Germany secured their spot with a second-place finish in Group D.
Both Tsitsipas and Zverev participated in the Nitto ATP Finals at the end of the 2023 season, but failed to advance to the semi-finals. Prior to the season finale, they faced each other for the 13th time in the Rolex Paris Masters, where Tsitsipas claimed victory with a score of 7-6(2), 6-4, improving his head-to-head record against Zverev to 9-4.
Tsitsipas expects another closely contested match at the United Cup, acknowledging Zverev as a formidable competitor who has been a mainstay in the Top 10 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for longer than any other player in their generation. Tsitsipas sees this match as an opportunity to elevate his game and showcase high-quality tennis.
While Tsitsipas has only played one singles match and one doubles match this season, winning both comfortably, Zverev has already competed in four matches. He secured two three-set victories against Lorenzo Sonego and Adrian Mannarino in singles, as well as splitting two doubles matches with Kerber.
Kerber, the sole former Grand Slam champion on either team, will be aiming for her first singles victory of 2024 when she faces Sakkari for the fifth time. Despite Sakkari's perfect record of 2-0 in the United Cup group stage, defeating Seguel and Fernandez, she acknowledges Kerber's experience and post-motherhood strength, making her a formidable opponent.
The winner of this quarter-final match will go on to face the host nation, Australia, in the semi-finals on Saturday.
