Tsitsipas delivers to keep Greece alive in United Cup tie vs. Spain
Mixed doubles to decide Group C tie
December 28, 2024
Tennis Australia
Stefanos Tsitsipas defeats Pablo Carreno Busta at the 2025 United Cup in Perth.
By ATP/WTA Staff
When required to provide for Greece at the United Cup, Stefanos Tsitsipas rarely misses.
The 26-year-old overcame Pablo Carreño Busta 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to level Greece’s Group C tie with Spain at 1-1, sending it to a live mixed doubles rubber. After experiencing a slight dip in form, which left him trailing a break in the deciding set, Tsitsipas recovered to keep his country alive.
“I’m happy that I found a way,” said Tsitsipas, who improved to 6-1 in United Cup singles. “In a position where you are doubting your choices but somehow trying to find a way, that’s the moment that I am most proud of. I just hope to come out here and represent Greece in the best possible way.
“I did [finish strongly], I fought it through. In some situations I was struggling to get back into the match. Pablo played such good tennis in the third set, so I had to come up with something. Any player here is a top-tier player, so I am not expecting anything other than that.”
When @steftsitsipas lights up RAC Arena 🙌#UnitedCup pic.twitter.com/yZTBlXYkiF
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) December 28, 2024
An error-strewn ninth game from Tsitsipas in the second set gifted the Carreno Busta his first break of serve, undoing all of the Greek’s efforts form the first set, in which which he won 83 per cent (15/18) of points behind his first serve, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Needing a win to keep Greece in the tie, the former No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings reignited some bruising tennis to bully his way past the Spaniard.
World No.54 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro had earlier defeated former No.3 Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-1 to give Spain an initial 1-0 lead over Greece. Bouzas Maneiro, 22, bounced back from a straight-sets loss to World No.6 Elena Rybakina in her opener to ease past Sakkari in a 72-minute clinic.
“I’m super super happy with my performance today,” Bouzas Maneiro said on court. “Yesterday was tough for me, the first match, but I felt really well today.”
In their first career meeting, Bouzas Maneiro dominated the baseline exchanges to earn the third tour-level Top 50 win of her career. She notched her first two last season, first by ousting defending champion Marketa Vondrousova in the first round of Wimbledon, and then notching another Grand Slam stunner over Katie Boulter at the US Open.
Sakkari entered the new season at No.32 on the PIF WTA Rankings after shutting down her 2024 campaign after the US Open due to a shoulder injury. Playing her first match since her first-round retirement in New York to Wang Yafan, Sakkari struggled to find the consistency needed to bother Bouzas Maneiro.
Maneiro broke Sakkari’s serve in all but one service game, converting seven of 13 break points. Sakkari served at just 45 percent in the match and misfired on 29 unforced errors. Fittingly, Bouzas Maneiro broke Sakkari’s serve to seal the match, firing a confident forehand winner to earn triple match point and converting on a backhand winner that clipped the line.