China kicked off its United Cup campaign in Sydney with a thrilling 2-1 win over Belgium in Group B play on Saturday. 🎾🇨🇳
The tie opened with women's singles, where World No.20 Elise Mertens dominated China's Zhu Lin 6-2, 6-2 in just 78 minutes. Mertens, Belgium's number one, showed why she's a top-20 mainstay.
For Zhu Lin, it was a tough start, but she's been on the comeback trail after a 2025 elbow injury sidelined her for six months. She rediscovered her form late last year with a standout victory over ex-US Open champ Emma Raducanu at the Ningbo Open, then stunned World No.6 Mirra Andreeva to reach the quarters. She wrapped up 2025 ranked 168th.
But China bounced back fast. Zhang Zhizhen answered the call in men's singles, leveling the tie and setting the stage for a show-stopping decider. The Chinese duo then teamed up and sealed the match, locking in the 2-1 win.
This opener sets a vibe boost for the squad as they chase the top spot in Group B. Up next, China will look to keep momentum rolling and feed off this Sydney sun! ☀️🔥
Skies are bright for Chinese tennis—stay tuned as Zhu, Zhang and Co. serve up more exciting matches in the United Cup. 👀👊
Reference(s):
Zhu Lin and Zhang Zhizhen lead China to win over Belgium at United Cup
cgtn.com
