Germany holds off Greece to advance to the United Cup semifinals

SYDNEY -- Germany will face Australia in the United Cup semifinals on Saturday. Germany came from 1-0 down to seal a 2-1 win. 

World No.8 Maria Sakkari opened the night with a clinical win over former No.1 Angelique Kerber, winning 6-0, 6-3 to give Greece a 1-0 lead. But Germany would not lose a set for the remainder of the tie. Alexander Zverev leveled the tie with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Stefanos Tsitsipas and then teamed with Laura Siegemund to defeat Sakkari and Petros Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-3 to win the decisive mixed-doubles rubber.

"I really just tried to focus on my job," Siegemund said. "It was a pretty big match with the weight on our shoulders trying to carry the team forward to the semis. We’re a dangerous mixed when it comes to 1-all."

Sakkari needed 73 minutes to earn her second career win over Kerber, closing her head-to-head against the German to 4-2. Both of Sakkari's wins have come on Australian soil, with her first coming at the 2021 Grampians Trophy. 

In American football terms, Sakkari dominated both sides of the ball from the first point to the last. Serving at 67 percent in the first set, she won 64 percent of her first serve points and an impressive 71 percent on her second serves. She wiped out the sole break point she faced. 

On return, Sakkari broke Kerber at will. The German was playing in just her third singles match in 18 months, having returned to competition this week for the first time since 2022 Wimbledon. Kerber won just 46 percent of her first-serve points and 27 percent of her second-serve points. 

Sakkari ran off the first nine games of the match before Kerber got on the board with a hold of serve at 6-0, 3-1. That hold of serve injected a surge of intensity and energy into the four-time major champion. With a searing forehand return winner, Kerber roared and got back on serve.

Sakkari promptly slammed the door on Kerber's comeback. With the German serving at 3-2, 30-all, Sakkari took control of the pivotal point with a precision backhand down the line and then closed out the break with corner-to-corner defense. She coolly closed out the victory three games later to remain undefeated at this year's United Cup.

"I would say it was a pretty clinical first set," Sakkari said. "Especially after 3-0 in the second, I was very solid from the baseline, doing what I had to do.

"But I knew Angie, because she's so experienced, an amazing player, there was no way she was going to give up. I managed my nerves well in that second set, so I'm happy I gave the first point for my team."

Saturday's semifinals will kick off at 10:30 a.m. with Iga Swiatek's Polish squad taking on Caroline Garcia's Team France. Australia and Germany will take the stage in the evening at 5:00 p.m.