World No.4 Stefanos Tsitsipas has hailed the arrival of the United Cup, and he hopes Greece change into the inaugural champions.
The event was dealt a giant blow on Wednesday when drawcard Nick Kyrgios pulled out of the mixed-team occasion.
However there’ll nonetheless be loads of star energy, led by 22-time males’s grand slam winner Rafael Nadal and girls’s world No.1 Iga Swiatek.
Tsitsipas was an enormous fan of the Hopman Cup, and he loves the very fact the United Cup can be a mixed-team occasion.
Every tie will comprise two males’s singles matches, two girls’s singles matches, and a blended doubles contest.
Greece, boasting the likes of Tsitsipas and world No.6 Maria Sakkari, are the No.1 seeds.
In contrast to the Hopman Cup, rating factors are on provide for the United Cup, and Tsitsipas hopes the event is right here to remain.
“I am glad that the United Cup is a factor now. We have been discussing this for a really very long time, combining it with the ladies,” Tsitsipas mentioned.
“They deserve a spot on this competitors as nicely. It is very nice to affix forces and make this factor come collectively for each genders.”
The withdrawal of Kyrgios is a serious blow to Australia’s hopes of profitable, and can heap additional stress on Alex de Minaur to provide the products.
Australia’s marketing campaign begins on Thursday night time towards Nice Britain in Sydney.
De Minaur will tackle world No.14 Cameron Norrie, whereas world No.772 Zoe Hives will fly the Australian flag towards Katie Swan.
“I am fairly disillusioned. He attracts some crowds. I used to be wanting ahead to enjoying him,” Norrie mentioned of Kyrgios’ exit.
“However (it is) even higher for us. We nonetheless have a troublesome opponent towards Demon (de Minaur).”
Greek star Tsitsipas faces an intriguing conflict with skilled Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in Perth.
Day one additionally options the US taking up the Czech Republic in Sydney, France towards Argentina in Perth, and match-ups between Italy and Brazil, and Switzerland and Kazakhstan in Brisbane.
France’s Alize Cornet is already a fan favorite in Western Australia after producing a sequence of preventing shows on the Hopman Cup.
The 32-year-old begins her marketing campaign towards Argentine Maria Carle on Thursday night time, and she or he has loads of fond recollections of Perth.
“I received the Hopman Cup in 2014 and the Fed Cup in 2019,” Cornet mentioned.
“Yesterday after we had our first hit on centre court docket with Caroline (Garcia), we had just a little second of feelings coming again on this court docket.
“It was very highly effective, this staff expertise, and this pleasure of profitable the Fed Cup.
“So I hope this fortunate allure goes to behave on this staff, as a result of … we’ve got a extremely good staff to go far within the event.”
