Serbia claimed a 2-1 win over China in 1 hour and 27 minutes in its opening Group E tie at the United Cup shortly before midnight at the RAC Arena in Perth.
Novak Djokovic started his 2024 season with a 6-3 6-2 win over Zhizhen Zhang. Djokovic did not face a break point and converted three of the seven break points. The Chinese player fended off a break point in the fourth game with a service winner.
Djokovic broke serve at love after a forehand error from Zhang Zhizhen to open up a 4-2 lead and held serve at 30. The world number 1 served for the first set and held serve with a service winner to close out the first set 6-3 in 24 minutes.
Zhang missed a game point in the first game of the second set and Djokovic broke serve to take an early lead. The Serbian player went up a double break to race out to a 3-0 lead, when Zhang Zhizhen missed a forehand in the third game. Djokovic held two service games to open up a 5-1 lead. Zhang served to stay in the match in the seventh game and saved a match point to close the gap to 5-2. Djokovic served out the win in the eighth game.
“I was a little bit rusty in the beginning. I was a little bit out of rhythm in the first five or six games, but it’s normal. When you don’t play an official match for over a month. It takes a little bit of time to get the engines going and he was serving well. The serve was great on my part, whenever I needed to get myself out of trouble at 15-15 and 30-30 in my service games. I found a good serve. It was a very tough match against a team, China, that is in form. They won the first tie 3-0 and they are both brilliant players in singles and doubles. We managed to turn it around. Olga hung in there, she lifted her spirits and she was really good in the tie-break”, said Djokovic.
Zheng Quinwen beat Olga Danilovic 6-4 6-2 in the women’s singles match. The Chinese player beat reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in three sets in her opening match.
Zheng Quinwen fended off two of the three break points and converted four of her six break points.
Danilovic earned an early break before Zheng Quinwen broke twice to open up a 4-2 lead. The Chinese player served for the first set in the 10thgame and fended off two set points for 6-4.
Zheng Quinwen earned two consecutive breaks to race out to a 4-0 lead in the second set and closed out the match in 1 hour and 37 minutes to force the tie to a deciding mixed doubles match, where Djokovic and Danilovic secured the win for Serbia with a 6-4 1-6 10-6 win over Zhang Zhizhen and Zheng Quinwen.
“This was on my number 1 bucket list to play with Novak and to win. I am so happy. Thanks to everyone for staying and being with us here on New Year’s Eve. This was an incredible match. I know I gave my all and I am so happy to finish 2023 like this”, said Danilovic.
