China kicked off its United Cup campaign in Sydney with a thrilling 2-1 win over Belgium on Saturday, showcasing grit and flair on the court 🎾🔥
The tie began with China's Zhu Lin facing Elise Mertens, the current World No. 20 and Belgian No. 1. Despite Zhu's valiant effort, Mertens dominated 6-2, 6-2 in 1 hour 18 minutes, giving Belgium an early edge.
Zhu's story is one of resilience: after a tough 2025 season that included a six-month break for an elbow injury, she found form at the Ningbo Open, stunning former US Open champion Emma Raducanu and then upsetting World No. 6 Mirra Andreeva to reach the quarterfinals, closing the year ranked No. 168.
With the overall tie on the line, China's No. 1 Zhang Zhizhen stepped up in the men's singles, delivering a powerful performance to level the score. The real drama unfolded in mixed doubles, where Zhu Lin and Zhang Zhizhen joined forces and sealed the decider in a heart-pounding finish to send Team China through with style 🎾🔥
Up next, China will look to build on this momentum as the competition heats up in Group B. ¡Vamos, Team China! 🇨🇳
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Zhu Lin and Zhang Zhizhen lead China to win over Belgium at United Cup
cgtn.com
