Alexander Lazarov and Isabella Shinikova saved one match point to beat David Goffin and Elise Mertens 1-6 7-6 (8-6) 10-6 and sealed Bulgaria a 3-2 win over Belgium in the first mixed doubles match at the United Cup at the RAC Arena in Perth.
Mertens and Goffin won six consecutive games from 0-1 down to win the first set 6-1 in just 21 minutes without facing a game point.
Shinikova and Lazarov broke serve twice in the second set. Lazarov won both deciding points on Mertens’ serve with backhand volleys. Mertens and Goffin broke Shinikova back both times and earned a match point at 5-4 on Lazarov’s serve. Mertens missed a double fault. Shinikova and Lazarov earned an early mini-break in the tie-break after a double fault from Mertens.
Mertens hit a forehand long in the tie-break, as she was a set point down and Shinikova fired a backhand pass to earn the first mini-break on on Goffin’s serve. The Bulgarian team hit two forehands to race out to a 8-1 lead in the match tie-break. Shinikova and Mertens went up a 9-3 lead, but they sealed the win on the fourth match point, as Mertens sent a backhand long.
“I think it’s great for the team, great for the nation, for each one of us, and gives us a boost of confidence for whatever is ahead of us”, said Dimitrov.
Earlier, Mertens beat Gergana Topalova 6-4 3-6 6-0 to give Belgium a 2-1 lead. Topalova replaced Bulgarian top player Viktoriya Tomova, who suffered from a left calf injury.
Topalova improved her ranking from world number 512 to number 308 in the WTA Ranking and was making her WTA Tour debut.
Mertens went up a break twice in the first set. Topalova broke back to draw level to 4-4, but Mertens won the final two games to close out the first set 6-4. Topalova came back from 0-2 down to win the second set 6-3. Mertens dropped just three points and broke serve three times to take a bagel win the third set.
“It’s fun to play in a mixed competition, but it was a little bit of struggle. I was mentally there in the third set, and that was the key to win the match. The first matches are always difficult, but I just tried to go for it and change for the plan. Captain Kirsten Flipkens gave me a little pep talk before the third set, and that really helped”, said Mertens.
Bulgaria’s Dimitar Kuzmanov eased past Zizou Bergs 6-2 6-0 to level the tie to 2-2. Kuzmanov converted five of the sev break points.
“I was feeling really good with the conditions. I already played one match and I was feeling the rhythm, the ball and the atmosphere, the court, everything. I was feeling the atmosphere, the weather, the court, everything”, said Kuzmanov.
On Saturday Grigor Dimitrov beat David Goffin 6-4 7-5 to extend his lead in their head-to-head matches to 9-2. They have played their first match since 2020, when Dimitrov beat Goffin in the ATP Cup. Dimitrov won the Nitto ATP Finals in 2017 beating Goffin in the final.
Dimitrov opened up a 4-1 lead in the first set, but Goffin reeled off three consecutive games to draw level to 4-4. Dimitrov broke for the second time in the 10th game to close out the first set 6-4.
Both players traded breaks in the first two games of the second set. Dimitrov saved six break points to hold serve. The Bulgarian player broke serve in the 12th game to take the second set 7-5. Dimitrov fired 10 aces and won 79 % of his first serve points.
Earlier this week Dimitrov came close to beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in his first United Cup match.
“I am pleased that I was able to sustain my level. Even though I could play better tennis, but I was staying in the match. I was trying to work on the things that I have worked on in the off-season. I was just happy to play at at a good level”, said Dimitrov.
