United Cup Round-Up: Alexander Zverev and Eva Lys deliver flawless start for Germany

Germany made a winning start to their United Cup campaign, with the 2024 champions opening their run in Sydney in convincing fashion after sweeping both singles matches against the Netherlands in straight sets. Comfortable victories from Eva Lys and Alexander Zverev sealed an ideal debut for the German team.

The Germans entered the tie as clear favourites, both in terms of rankings and previous results at the tournament. Debutant Eva Lys set the tone with an emphatic 6-2, 6-2 win over Suzan Lamens, before Alexander Zverev followed with a dominant performance that included a bagel against Tallon Griekspoor.

World No. 49 Eva Lys made her United Cup debut after finishing the year as Germany’s No. 1 player following a breakthrough 2025 season. The 23-year-old asserted her status from the outset, earning an early break that quickly gave her control — an advantage she would not relinquish.

The opening set featured a run of breaks, with both players exchanging two consecutive breaks early on. However, Lys’ consistency on return proved decisive in a set marked by irregular play from both sides. Lamens struggled with her serve, landing just 54% of first serves and winning only 42% of those points, well below Lys’ 74% first-serve percentage and 60% success rate.

Lys’ main weakness in the first set was her second serve, where she won just 22% of points, but she addressed that issue early in the second set. After saving an early break point and missing a couple of opportunities in the second game, Lys played with greater confidence, took control of the rallies and remained more consistent against an increasingly erratic Lamens.

A break in the fourth game opened the door for the German, who maintained her lead and eventually closed out the match after navigating a tense final stretch. Lys showed strong composure on key points, saving five of seven break points and converting six of her 13 break opportunities.

It was expected to be a tricky matchup for world No. 3 Alexander Zverev against a rival who had beaten him in previous encounters — including a win for Griekspoor at Indian Wells in 2025. However, Zverev delivered a far more commanding performance this time, winning the final eight games in a row to assert his dominance.

The opening stages were evenly matched, with both players holding serve comfortably. The score reached 5-5 without either man facing a break point, as both posted first-serve winning percentages above 85%. The turning point came when Griekspoor, under pressure at 5-6, was forced to rely heavily on his second serve. Zverev capitalised, converting his first break point of the match to take the opening set 7-5.

The second set was one-sided. Zverev raised his level significantly, dominating on serve and dictating play from the baseline. The German conceded just seven points in the entire set, while Griekspoor lost all effectiveness on serve, winning only two service points and failing to mount any resistance on return.

Zverev sealed the victory with a bagel in the second set, finishing the match with 15 aces and winning an impressive 89% of points behind his first serve.