Stefanos Tsitsipas fired his twelfth ace on match level to offer Greece a 2-0 lead over Bulgaria with a comeback win towards Grigor Dimitrov on Thursday on the inaugural United Cup.
The world quantity 4 recovered easily after shedding the opening set to emerge with a 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) victory in his season-opening match at Perth forward of the Australian Open.
Greek teammate Despina Papamichail, ranked 158th, gave her nation the opening level as she defeated a cramping Isabella Shinikova, additionally ending with a fightback to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.
The combined groups event options 18 international locations taking part in in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, with every tie consisting of two males’s and two ladies’s singles rubbers together with a combined doubles.
Tsitsipas lifted within the final-set tiebreaker towards an opponent he has now defeated in six of their seven matches.
“It was extraordinarily shut, however I’ll take it,” he mentioned. “It was a superb effort from my aspect.
“It was powerful taking part in within the warmth — I’m glad they closed the roof. I needed to hold in there and combat, Grigor can compete with the very best on the planet.
“However I discovered a little bit hole and gave myself the prospect to do one thing within the tiebreak.”
