Maria Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas helped Greece eliminate Canada from the United Cup with a 3-0 victory in group play on Wednesday. Canada's Leylah Fernandez plays a backhand return to Sakkari during their United Cup tennis match in Sydney, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Mark Baker
SYDNEY, Australia – Maria Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas helped Greece eliminate Canada from the United Cup with a 3-0 victory in group play on Wednesday.
Sakkari saved four set points in the first set and came back from down 3-1 in the second to defeat Leylah Fernandez, of Laval, Que., 7-6 (2), 6-3, and secure a 2-0 lead for Greece, which advanced to the quarterfinals.
In the first match, No. 6-ranked Tsitsipas comfortably beat Toronto’s Steven Diez 6-2, 6-3.
Tsitsipas and Despina Papamichail teamed up to top Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime and Vancouver’s Stacey Fung 7-5, 6-4 in mixed doubles.
Canada opened the tournament with a 2-1 win over Chile on Sunday and would have advanced to the quarters as Group B winners with a victory versus Greece.
The Canadians (2-4) instead finished last in the group, behind Chile (3-3) and Greece (4-2).
The 18-country, mixed-team event in Sydney and Perth doubles as a warm-up for the Australian Open.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 3, 2024.
