Videos - Second WTA match of the season and it's already cramping up!
This Friday, December 27, is a very special day. Tennis officially resumes with the launch of the now famous United Cup. Bringing together 18 nations in Australia, the mixed team competition is an important first appointment for players, as it enables them to prepare for their first Grand Slam under official match conditions. As a reminder, the United Cup is recognized by the ATP and WTA and even awards ranking points.
On this first day of competition, Kazakhstan and Spain opened the ball in Perth, before Brazil and China took their turn. And it was precisely in this duel between the Chinese and Brazilians that the physical component of tennis was already making itself felt.
As Béatriz Haddad Maia (world no. 17) and Gao Xinyu (world no. 175) battled it out for almost 3 hours, both players started spiking at the same time (see video below)! A great way to start the season.
In the end, it was the Chinese player who pulled off the feat, winning after 3h22 of play (5-7, 6-4, 7-5).
