Belgium reached its first United Cup semifinal round with a victory over the Czech Republic on Thursday in Sydney.
Team Belgium reached the next round following singles wins by Zizou Bergs and Elise Mertens.
Bergs defeated Jakub Mensik 6-2, 7-6 (4), his second consecutive victory over a top 20 player after defeating Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in group play. Bergs was 2-16 against top 20 players prior to the United Cup.
Mertens needed two hours, 33 minutes to top two-time major singles champion Barbora Krejcikova in a 5-7, 6-1, 7-5 match.
Belgium will meet Switzerland in the semis. The United States will play the winner of the quarterfinal contest pitting Australia an Poland in the other semifinal.
Brisbane International
Brandon Nakashima and Aleksandar Kovacevic won their matches, becoming the third and fourth American men to reach the quarterfinal round.
Nakashima defeated French qualifier Quentin Halys 6-2, 6-4, while Kovacevic needed three sets to oust Great Britian’s Cameron Norrie, the seventh seed, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-4.
Sebastian Korda and Alex Michelsen already had qualified and will meet in an All-American quarterfinal.
Also advancing were Belgian qualifier Raphael Collignon and France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Hong Kong Tennis Open
No. 2 seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan became the only seed in action to advance to the quarterfinals, defeating the Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-3.
Bublik took the easy win behind 12 aces, points on 87% of his first serve and three break points.
American Michael Mmoh eliminated No. 4 seed Karen Khachanov of Russia 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4). Juncheng Shang of China defeated No. 5 seed Lorenzo Sonego of Italy 6-3, 6-4. And another American, Marcos Giron, ousted Frenchman Alexandre Muller 6-4, 7-6 (4).
–Field Level Media
