In a stellar kickoff to the United Cup in Sydney, Czechia triumphed over Norway with a resounding 3-0 victory, thanks to dynamic performances from Barbora Krejcikova and Jakub Mensik. This marked Krejcikova’s first appearance in the competition, alongside her fellow compatriot Mensik, who made his United Cup debut.
Krejcikova, a two-time Grand Slam singles champion and former World No. 1 in doubles, opened the tie with a convincing 6-4, 6-3 win over Norway’s Malene Helgo. Despite a sluggish start that saw her trailing 1-3 in the first set, Krejcikova found her rhythm and won eight out of the next nine games, effectively turning the match in her favor. Playing in the match with a supportive sleeve on her left knee, she expressed her relief and excitement about her fitness. “The knee is better. It took some time, but it’s improving every day, and I’m very happy with that,” she stated during her interview on the court.
Following Krejcikova’s victory, Mensik faced off against Casper Ruud, clinching the tie for Czechia with a hard-fought 7-5, 7-6(6) win. The 20-year-old showcased remarkable composure, especially in the tight moments of the match. He secured critical breaks, notably breaking Ruud when the score was tied at 5-5 in the first set. In the second, he had to rally from 3-5 down in the tiebreak but managed to secure victory after winning five of the last six points. “First match of the season, it’s never easy,” Mensik remarked. “I’m grateful for the win. I managed in both sets to find the power at the end, that was the most important thing.”
Krejcikova praised Men’s performance after watching from the sidelines, noting the consistency of his serve, which proved pivotal throughout the match. “What I love about his tennis is the serve. It was amazing to see him play, and he was serving really well at important points,” she said.
The clean sweep completed in the mixed doubles saw Krejcikova and Adam Pavlasek defeat the Norwegian duo of Ulrikke Eikeri and Viktor Durasovic 7-5, 6-2, sealing a commanding performance for Czechia.
Despite facing recent injury setbacks, Krejcikova noted her joy in starting the season healthy and her enthusiasm for being part of the United Cup team. The former World No. 2 is currently ranked 65 in the world after battling injuries that limited her play during the previous year. After reaching the quarter-finals of the US Open and experiencing a competitive return to form, she expressed her hope for an injury-free year. “I’m really happy that I’m part of this event, this nice competition where we have a team. I think we have a really good atmosphere on the team, and it’s been working really well,” Krejcikova concluded.
Both Czechia and Australia find themselves at 1-0 in Group D and are set to meet in their next match, promising another thrilling round of tennis as the tournament progresses.
