New season, same script for Novak Djokovic.

Trailing World No. 64 Quentin Halys 2-5 after a competitive first set at the Adelaide International 1 Thursday, did anyone really doubt that the Serbian would come back? With the Frenchman serving for the set at 5-3, Djokovic went into lockdown mode, breaking to love after teasing four consecutive unforced errors from the 26-year-old’s racquet.

From there it was a business-like performance from the man who spent a record 373 weeks atop the Pepperstone ATP Rankings as he closed out a 7-6(3) 7-6(5) win to set a quarter-final clash with explosive Canadian shotmaker Denis Shapovalov. To his credit, Halys remained competitive throughout, but ultimately slipped to 0-12 in career meetings against Top 30 opponents.

“It was a great performance from my opponent today and I want to congratulate him for a great fight. He played like a Top 10 opponent,” Djokovic said. “He was serving big, hitting his spots and on a fast court like this it’s tough to break, so two tie-breaks is a realistic score in today’s match. I’m glad to overcome the challenge.”

Djokovic, who has won 20 of his past 21 matches, claimed the third title of his career in Adelaide in 2007. This week he seeks career title No. 92. He next faces Shapovalov Friday with a potential blockbuster semi-final with Daniil Medvedev on Saturday.

Looking ahead to his next match, Djokovic said, “Denis is one of the most complete players out there. He has a very dynamic style of tennis. He has a big serve, comes to the net, is comfortable playing at the back of a court and he’s a great athlete. I haven’t played him for a while so I’m looking forward to it. Every match from here gets tougher.”

Ahead of the Djokovic clash, Shapovalov is likely to hit the practice court in search of rhythm on his first serve. The Canadian put just 55 per cent of first serves into play against Australian Rinky Hijikata in the first round, when he also threw in nine double faults. In Thursday’s 6-3, 6-3 win over another qualifier, World No. 88 Roman Safiullin, Shapovalov cut his double fault count to two but still put only 57 per cent of first serves into play.

Despite losing nine of 10 matches between Rome and Montreal last year, Shapovalov finished with a respectable 34-26 mark on the season, and at No. 18 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Djokovic leads Shapovalov 7-0 in their ATP Head2Head series, but the 23-year-old has been very competitive in their three matches since 2020.

Wednesday ended in celebration for Team Italy despite a narrow defeat to Poland in the United Cup’s Brisbane City Final. Falling 3-2 in a tie decided by the mixed doubles finale, the Italians earned a place in the semi-finals with the best overall record among the day’s three losing teams — beating out Croatia and Great Britain to join winners Poland, the United States and Greece in Sydney for the Final Four that begins Friday.

A 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win for Matteo Berrettini against Hubert Hurkacz put the Italians ahead early in the tie before Lorenzo Musetti powered past Daniel Michalski 6-1, 6-1. Musetti teamed with Camilla Rosatello for the mixed doubles decider, but the pair was turned back 6-1, 6-2 by the star Polish team of Hurkacz and WTA World No. 1 Iga Swiatek.

The loss finalised Italy’s record at 10-5 across three ties in Brisbane — matching that of Team Croatia, which fell 3-2 against Greece in the Perth City Final. Great Britain finished at 8-7 after a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the United States.

With Italy and Croatia level on match records, the Italians advanced courtesy of their superior percentage of sets won. They will now travel to Sydney to take on Stefanos Tsitsipas, Maria Sakkari and Team Greece in the semis. The full semi-final schedule is below.

ORDER OF PLAY – FRIDAY, JANUARY 06, 2023
KEN ROSEWALL ARENA start 1:00 pm
[2] I. Swiatek (POL) vs [3] J. Pegula (USA) 
[2] D. Michalski (POL) vs [3] F. Tiafoe (USA) 

Not Before 7:00 pm
[1] M. Sakkari (GRE) vs [5] M. Trevisan (ITA) 
[1] M. Pervolarakis (GRE) vs [5] L. Musetti (ITA)

ORDER OF PLAY – SATURDAY, JANUARY 07, 2023
KEN ROSEWALL ARENA start 10:00 am
[2] H. Hurkacz (POL) vs [3] T. Fritz (USA) 
[2] M. Linette (POL) vs [3] M. Keys (USA) 
Mixed Doubles Match: POL vs USA 

Not Before 5:00 pm
[1] S. Tsitsipas (GRE) vs [5] M. Berrettini (ITA) 
[1] D. Papamichail (GRE) vs [5] L. Bronzetti (ITA) 
Mixed Doubles Match: GRE vs ITA 

Maria Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas held firm in a tense mixed doubles decider against Borna Gojo and Petra Martic in Perth on Wednesday night to clinch Team Greece a spot at the United Cup Finals in Sydney.

The Greek pair’s 7-6(6), 6-4 win sealed its nation a 3-2 win in the Perth City Final after a day of drama that saw the four singles matches split.

“I am so happy and proud of this team, I just cannot put it in words,” said Sakkari. “Coming in here, it’s the first tournament of the year, you don’t know what kind of form you are in, but I think we saw that we are in pretty good form!”

“I’m happy we pulled this through. I’m proud of the team,” said Tsitsipas. “Fighters is what defines us. That first big step we took here in Perth is going to remain memorable. I’m happy we started in Perth, I wished for it… Let me just say, we might be in Sydney, but our heart remains here.”

🇬🇷 HELLAS 🇬🇷@mariasakkari and @steftsitsipas take out Martic & Gojo 7-6 6-4 to advance to the #UnitedCup semifinals 🔥 pic.twitter.com/uKEIBOgEl9

— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) January 4, 2023

The WTA No. 6 Sakkari and ATP No. 4 Tsitsipas were both dialled in on serve throughout their 94-minute victory, winning 88 per cent (42/48) of points behind first serves, facing no break points and sending down eight aces.

It was Sakkari and Tsitsipas’ third mixed doubles victory of the week in Perth, where the pair also played together at the 2019 Hopman Cup. Sakkari admitted that familiarity with RAC Arena as well as becoming increasingly used to each other’s games contributed to their impressive performances as a duo this week.

“I think our first mixed doubles was on this court,” said Sakkari. “Our games are just clicking. We know each other really well and we have great chemistry on the court, and I think that’s the key. Of course, the more we develop as players, that’s also something that adds up and makes us play a lot better on the mixed doubles for sure.”

Team Greece will next take on Team Italy in the semi-finals across Friday and Saturday in Sydney, where Team Poland and Team USA will contest the other final-four tie.

Photo Credit: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Earlier in the day session, Donna Vekic had kicked off the tie with an emphatic 6-2, 6-0 defeat of Despina Papamichail in just 64 minutes, giving Croatia an early 1-0 lead. However, Tsitsipas drew level at 1-1 after coming from 4-1 down in the third set to beat Borna Coric for the first time 6-0, 6-7(4), 7-5.

Sakkari then gave Greece a 2-1 lead after defeating Martic 6-3, 6-3, before Gojo triumphed 6-4, 6-2 against Stefanos Sakellaridis to level the tie at 2-2 and force a mixed doubles decider.

The clash of the two teams’ top WTA players saw Sakkari deliver a fine serving performance to shut out Martic. The WTA No.6 landed 67 per cent of her first deliveries and won 73 per cent of those points — a recipe for success, as she was broken just once and only faced break points in two games. By contrast, Martic’s serve was not the weapon it can be, with only 54 per cent of her first serves landing in.

Both players fired 19 winners apiece, but Sakkari demonstrated both more consistency and better execution on big points. A series of Martic errors paved the way for Sakkari to break for 5-3 in the first set, and the two-time major semi-finalist kept a firm grasp of momentum by unleashing on a sequence of forehands to capture Martic’s serve again at the start of the second set.

Sakkari gave Martic few opportunities on return, and the Croat was largely unable to take her half-chances. Some fine shotmaking staved off the double break at the start of the second set, but Martic could not build on a 0-30 lead on Sakkari’s serve in the next game. Neither could she convert two break-back points in the penultimate game of the match.

Gojo hit back on Croatia’s behalf with an authoritative win over ATP No. 803 Sakellaridis. The World No. 144’s heroics had sealed their defeat of France one day earlier, and Gojo completed an unbeaten Perth singles campaign in style.

Sakellaridis, 18, had thrilled his teammates and a partisan Greek crowd on his United Cup debut with a three-set upset of Belgium’s Zizou Bergs. But an error-strewn opening service game saw him drop serve immediately against Gojo, and from there the teenager found himself chasing the scoreboard in vain.

The powerful Gojo dominated behind his own serve, winning 100% of the points behind his first delivery and only facing one break point late in the second set. Once Sakellaridis had settled, he demonstrated impressive fluidity from the baseline to find 16 winners to Gojo’s 13.

But it wasn’t enough to turn the match around. Gojo scored another early breakthrough in the second set, navigating five deuces to break Sakellaridis for 2-1, and cruised from there, sealing match point with a booming smash.

View the full semi-final schedule below.

ORDER OF PLAY – FRIDAY, JANUARY 06, 2023
KEN ROSEWALL ARENA start 1:00 pm
[2] I. Swiatek (POL) vs [3] J. Pegula (USA) 
[2] D. Michalski (POL) vs [3] F. Tiafoe (USA) 

Not Before 7:00 pm
[1] M. Sakkari (GRE) vs [5] M. Trevisan (ITA) 
[1] M. Pervolarakis (GRE) vs [5] L. Musetti (ITA)

ORDER OF PLAY – SATURDAY, JANUARY 07, 2023
KEN ROSEWALL ARENA start 10:00 am
[2] H. Hurkacz (POL) vs [3] T. Fritz (USA) 
[2] M. Linette (POL) vs [3] M. Keys (USA)
Mixed Doubles Match: POL vs USA 

Not Before 5:00 pm
[1] S. Tsitsipas (GRE) vs [5] M. Berrettini (ITA) 
[1] D. Papamichail (GRE) vs [5] L. Bronzetti (ITA) 
Mixed Doubles Match: GRE vs ITA 

Aslan Karatsev has yet to drop a set in the 2023 ATP Tour season, but he had to save three set points on Wednesday at the Tata Open Maharashtra to maintain that perfect record. After erasing one in the opening set of a 7-6(7), 7-6(8) victory against Tim van Rijthoven, the eighth seed fought off two more in set two to advance to the quarter-finals at the ATP 250.

Karatsev broke serve for the first time on his sixth break point of the match midway through set two, but then dropped serve from 40/0 as van Rijthoven created his first chances on return. After Karatsev failed to convert two match points on return at 5-4 — his seventh and eighth break points of the contest — he closed out the match in an extended tie-break on his fourth opportunity. 

Next up for the 29-year-old is Spain’s Pedro Martinez, who came from behind to upset fourth seed Sebastian Baez 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. France’s Benjamin Bonzi also scored an upset on Wednesday, knocking off third seed and returning finalist Emil Ruusuvuori 6-1, 7-6(4).

Top seed Marin Cilic made a winning start to the new season with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 win against Roberto Carballes Baena. The Croatian, seeking his third Pune title after back-to-back triumphs in 2009-10, fired 16 aces and won more than 80 per cent of points on first serve. He will next face Tallon Griekspoor for a place in the semi-finals.

“For me the match was really good, a good level,” Cilic said. “First set was good tennis. Roberto made a break in the second, played good. He’s very solid… He played quite well, and what a way to finish the match, a great third set and I just played some really good tennis there.”

Speaking about the significance of winning his first match of the season, he added: “It’s always important, it gives you a little bit more positives after coming through the offseason, working hard, practising. But it’s not the same when you come on the court so it feels good, and I’m looking forward to continuing that positivity.”

Second seed Botic van de Zandschulp also got off the mark with a 7-5, 6-4 win against Flavio Cobolli, while sixth seed Filip Krajinovic outlasted Michael Mmoh 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Hubert Hurkacz and Iga Swiatek were the heroes for Poland on Wednesday, sending their country to the United Cup Final Four in Sydney. The Polish stars won a deciding mixed doubles match in the Brisbane City Final, defeating Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti and Camilla Rosatello 6-1, 6-2.

Hurkacz had lost the No. 1 men’s singles match earlier in the evening, but he returned to Pat Rafter Arena with Swiatek, who had won the No. 1 women’s singles match, to clinch the tie. The Poles were in control throughout, and the pair embraced after Swiatek hit a final volley into the open court.

“[It feels] amazing, honestly. I don’t know. I think it’s better winning in a team than individually. I’m so happy that we did it together and team effort for sure paid off,” Swiatek said. “Today’s match was pretty stressful because we [don’t] play mixed doubles usually. But I’m so happy that I was able to play a solid game and Hubi was pushing our opponents and really making it easy for me. So I’m really happy that we played such a nice game.”

The only impediment to the Poles’ masterful performance was the rain. There is a roof on Pat Rafter Arena, but there were two short delays early in the second set when sideways rain made its way onto the court.

During those breaks, Italy’s No. 1 men’s singles player, Matteo Berrettini, and captain Vincenzo Santopadre urged their team on, providing motivation and tactical advice. But it was not enough, as Hurkacz and Swiatek triumphed after 65 minutes.

“Definitely it was a little bit stressful before the match. Obviously Team Italy is a really super strong team,” Hurkacz said. “It was a very interesting matchup, but it was definitely a lot of fun to play mixed doubles to decide and… to win as a team is something special. And having Iga as a partner the way she hits the ball, it’s just amazing. Definitely the girls carried the team today, so thanks for that!”

Magda Linette gave her country a chance by levelling the tie at 2-2 with a win in the No. 2 women’s singles match. Just 24 hours after clinching Poland’s win over Switzerland on Tuesday with a physical win over Jil Teichmann, the World No. 48 delivered again. Linette played a focused, disciplined match to defeat Lucia Bronzetti 6-1, 6-2 in one hour and 12 minutes. 

Photo Credit: Getty Images
In the first match of the evening session, World No. 16 Berrettini relied on his big serve and booming forehand to secure a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 triumph against Hurkacz after one hour and 57 minutes 

“I’m really happy for the performance, for my teammates obviously,” Berrettini said. “I think the level was really high. Hubi is a great player. We fought in the past, I’m sure we’re going to fight in the future as well. So I’m really, really happy. A little bit tired, but really happy.”

Berrettini made a quick start, breaking Hurkacz’s serve immediately. However, the encounter turned into a heavyweight clash between the two 2021 Nitto ATP Finals contenders.

There was little to differentiate between the stars, with the critical moment coming at 3-2 in the deciding set. Berrettini hit two sensational passing shots in the game to give himself a break opportunity, which he converted when the Pole missed a forehand long. The Italian now leads their ATP Head2Head series 2-1.

It was Berrettini’s second Top 10 win in as many days, having defeated World No. 3 Casper Ruud on Tuesday. He also beat Thiago Monteiro in his first match of the season.

“I think the key today was my mental toughness,” Berrettini said. “I wasn’t playing as good as yesterday, but tennis is like this. Every day is different, so I’m really happy for that.”

“Everything about how I play is from my mum.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas is in no doubt about the influence that his mother, former WTA pro Julia Apostoli, has had on his rise to the top of the game. Not just in terms of raising him and supporting him courtside since he was a junior, but also directly influencing the fundamentals of his game.

“Single-handed backhand, serve and volley sometimes, it’s from my mum,” the nine-time tour-level titlist told ATPTour.com this week. “My mum was a very aggressive player. Nowadays you don’t see many women with a single-handed backhand, but she had a beautiful one, it was her best stroke that she used very effectively. It’s something I consider a strength of mine as well. She has taught me so much about that particular shot and she gives me advice on the net game as well.”

This week in Perth, Tsitsipas has spearheaded Team Greece’s United Cup campaign alongside another Top 10 star who grew up as the child of a tennis player, WTA No. 6 Maria Sakkari. Her mother Angeliki Kanellopoulou reached a career-high No. 43 in the WTA Rankings in 1987.

“I think it’s very special that we [Stef and I] are two very good players and both have very special mums,” said Sakkari. “For us, it’s an inspiration having two very powerful women in our lives and supporting us.

“She always tells me to enjoy it because a tennis career is very short. Towards the end of your career, you realise that you should’ve enjoyed it more, so that’s what she’s trying to teach me. I think I have been doing well lately, enjoying my time on the Tour.”

_{^{Maria Sakkari and her mother, Angeliki Kanellopoulou. Photo Credit: WTA/Jimmeie48}}

Apostoli and Kanellopoulou, who know each other well, are regular presences in Tsitsipas and Sakkari’s respective team boxes on Tour, and both are happy to discuss their own experiences of playing professionally if it helps guide their children through their own careers.

“It’s very helpful to have someone who has played at the professional level,” said Sakkari. “They can really understand all these emotions we feel on the court and obviously teach us a lot of things and tell us their opinions. The main thing is having their support because they know exactly how we feel on the court. If I struggle, I can ask my mum for advice, which is very helpful.”

“She has instilled in me the discipline,” added Tsitsipas of Apostoli. “She hasn’t been easy with me, and I think that’s for a reason, to make me grow up stronger. She’s also a very loving, caring mum. I owe a lot to her. One thing I perhaps have learned from her is that to not have anything external or from the other side of the court affect you, that’s how you can get down on yourself and even lose matches.”

Neither 24-year-old Tsitsipas nor 27-year-old Sakkari are old enough to remember their mums’ professional playing careers. Yet Sakkari admitted that Kanellopoulou’s legacy alone, particularly in Greece, did not always make things easy for her as she tried to forge her own career in the game.

“At the age I fell in love with tennis, I was too young to understand what my mum was,” said Sakkari. “She has a big name back at home in the tennis community. Once I realised she was a very good player, it wasn’t easy to handle. Everyone expects you to win because your mom was very good. At the same time, I just found a way to block it out and play my tennis, but always having her by my side.”

For Tsitsipas, at least one of his mum’s achievements as a pro is symbolically linked to his own career. The 24-year-old is a two-time champion at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, where Apostoli also won a singles title during her career.

“It was quite a cool achievement to share my name with my mum on the wall at the Monte Carlo Country Club,” said Tsitsipas. “I remember going there for the first time when I was about 10 years old and seeing my mum’s name on the plaque. I was just thinking, ‘Maybe someday I can achieve something similar’.

“That’s where my whole career kind of started. I used to go to southern France and play local tournaments when I was eight. Monte-Carlo Country Club was one of the very first clubs I visited abroad and one of the first tournaments I watched as a kid. Being able to see Nadal face Federer and other tennis legends, it has a special connection in our family.”

_{^{Stefanos Tsitsipas embraces his mother Julia Apostoli after winning in Monte Carlo in 2021. Photo Credit: Valery Hache/AFP via Getty}}

Although she cannot remember them, Sakkari still draws lessons from her mother’s stories of her playing days.

“Of course there have been a lot of stories,” said the two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist. “When they played, travelling and communication was tougher. The differences between now and then aren’t shocking to us, but it makes us appreciate more how easier life is today.”

Not all old family tales set the best example for the next generation, however, something acknowledged by Tsitsipas when sharing a light-hearted anecdote from his mother’s early days.

“My mom and her twin sister used to play doubles a lot, they were champions back in the USSR,” explained Tsitsipas. “My aunt used to serve all the time when they played doubles because she had the better serve and a few times the opponent realised that [only one of them was serving]. The referee told them to change socks so that he could differentiate them!

“This is some of the smart tactics and mentality my mum implemented in me… [But] not in a bad way!”

Team United States sealed its spot in the United Cup Final Four Wednesday when Frances Tiafoe rallied past Daniel Evans 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 to give his nation an unassailable 3-1 lead against Great Britain in the Sydney City Final.

Walking onto court with the United States leading 2-1, Tiafoe showcased his all-court game to improve to 3-0 on the season. The World No. 19 timed his forehand cleanly to pull Evans around and he looked comfortable moving forward, clinically finishing points at the net on Ken Rosewall Arena.

In a tense deciding set, Tiafoe kept up his intensity and aggression in the crucial moments to frustrate Evans, earning the decisive break in the fifth game. With his two-hour, 11-minute win, the 24-year-old increased his ATP Head2Head series lead against World No. 27 Evans to 4-2.

Tiafoe has won all three matches he has played this season, also beating Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac and Germany’s Oscar Otte.

The United Cup Final Four commences in Sydney on Friday. The best runner-up from across the three City Finals will also progress to Ken Rosewall Arena.

Earlier, World No. 3 Jessica Pegula had given the United States a 2-1 lead when she produced a masterclass display to defeat Harriet Dart 6-2, 6-0 in 57 minutes.

“I think Madi really set the tone with her match,” Pegula said. “I think I did everything really well today. I could feel it. Some days you come out firing and you feel really good. I was honestly trying to settle myself down because I was seeing the ball really well today.”

In the afternoon session, Madison Keys moved her nation ahead after rallying from a set down to defeat Katie Swan 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. World No. 14 Cameron Norrie had the perfect response, putting Great Britain on the board with a clutch 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win against World No. 9 Taylor Fritz.

Stefanos Tsitsipas maintained his perfect start to the 2023 season on Tuesday at the United Cup in Perth, coming through a topsy-turvy encounter with Borna Coric 6-0, 6-7(4), 7-5 against Borna Coric to earn a vital City Finals point for Team Greece.

The World No. 4 took to court under pressure after Donna Vekic defeated Despina Papamichail to give Team Croatia a 1-0 lead in the tie, and he had to dig deep as Coric staged a recovery after saving two match points at 5-6 in the second set. The Greek was then in trouble at 1-4 behind in the decider, but he rallied to a thrilling two-hour, 32-minute win that left the Perth City Final at 1-1.

“Whenever I play [Borna], it’s definitely not easy, but I keep reminding myself that it doesn’t get better than this and his level of tennis is going to improve my level of tennis,” said Tsitsipas after the match. “So yeah, I’ve lost some, now I’ve won some too. It’s important to get matches against opponents like this that raise the bar high. They require you to find ways to win, even when you’re not feeling your best.”

Coric prevailed in both his meetings with Tsitsipas in 2022, including a notable victory in the final of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, but the Greek showed no early signs of being affected by those defeats as he dominated the first set on RAC Arena. Tsitsipas’ all-around game was dialled in as he dropped just two points on serve in the set and was clinical in converting all three of his break points.

The World No. 26 Coric had shown impressive form in the group stage in Perth, where he opened with wins against Francisco Cerundolo and Arthur Rinderknech, and he reacted well to dropping his first set of the 2023 season. The Croatian produced a couple of searing backhand winners during a second set that offered few chances against serve.

Tsitsipas almost made his move in the 12th game, but Coric saved two match points to force a tie-break and then stayed consistent to level the match after opening an ultimately unassailable 6/2 lead. The momentum was all with Coric as he broke Tsitsipas for the first time in the match and opened a 4-1 lead in the deciding set, but the Greek’s big hitting continued to pull Coric effectively around the court. He won five of the last six games, finally sealing victory with his sixth match point.

“I was just trying to continue that momentum that I built from the very first moment when I entered the court,” said Tsitsipas. “He responded very fiercely in that particular moment, so I just had to continue with the way I fight, with the way I do things, and I’m so, so glad… That last shot was the moment I was really looking forward to and a very good down-the-line backhand in fact, it surprised me. What a relief.”

The City Final will be decided in the evening session in Perth, where Greece’s WTA No. 6 Maria Sakkari will meet Petra Martic in the No. 1 women’s singles match. Michail Pervolarakis is scheduled to take on Borna Gojo in the fourth singles match before a final and potentially decisive mixed doubles clash.

Vekic had earlier given Croatia a strong start to the City Final with an emphatic 6-2, 6-0 defeat of Papamichail in just 64 minutes.

The No. 158-ranked Papamichail had impressed in her United Cup campaign so far, pulling out a three-set win over Isabella Shinikova on Day 1 and then delivering a superb performance in defeat against Alison Van Uytvanck. But the 29-year-old had few answers to Vekic’s relentless power.

Papamichail showed off her trademark grit in the first game, saving four break points for an early hold. But Vekic converted her sixth break point of the day in the third game, winning a rally that featured net cords and a cat-and-mouse volley exchange before Papamichail put a smash wide.

Thereafter, Vekic settled and began to dominate. The former WTA No.19’s return was in fiery form, particularly on the off forehand, one of which captured another break for 5-2. She leavened her power with finesse, too, with the drop shot proving increasingly successful. The second set was near-flawless from the Croatian, who conceded only eight points and did not face a game point during it.