Lys Shakes Off Nerves for United Cup Debut Win
In Sydney’s charged opener, Eva Lys overcomes jitters and a prior loss to dominate Suzan Lamens 6-2, 6-2, launching defending champions Germany to a 1-0 lead in Group F.
In the electric hum of Sydney’s Ken Rosewall Arena, Eva Lys stepped into her United Cup debut carrying Germany’s 2024 championship legacy. The Kyiv-born German No. 1 faced Suzan Lamens, avenging their lone 2024 meeting in Osaka with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 victory that put the defending champions ahead 1-0 in Group F. Lys’s heavy topspin forehands pinned Lamens deep, turning early break exchanges into one-sided dominance under the growing crowd’s roar.
The opening set built like a slow fuse, both players trading breaks in the first five games as Lamens’s flat backhands probed crosscourt and Lys stretched the court with inside-out winners. Lys then locked in, denying Lamens a game point at 3-all before converting her third break point in the sixth with a sharp down-the-line backhand. She dug out a hold from 15-40 to reach 5-2, her low-bouncing slice serve forcing weak returns that echoed her tactical evolution on these outdoor hardcourts.
“As soon as I stepped on the court, I saw how many people are watching ... I was actually quite nervous,” Lys said afterwards. “First of all, I was definitely running a marathon with Suzan. ... I definitely was very good on the most important points.”
“I feel like I played pretty straightforward and not too aggressive, and I feel like that was the key,” she added, saying that her physical issues “could’ve definitely been worse.”
Nerves ignite early rally battles
Lys entered with that Osaka blemish lingering, but Sydney’s grippier surface let her topspin bite harder, disrupting Lamens’s baseline rhythm from the start. The match stretched to 1 hour and 39 minutes, nine of its 14 games hitting deuce, where Lys claimed seven through varied returns—stepping inside the line to take underspin slices early and countering with a 1–2 punch of forehand inside-in. Her mental edge sharpened amid the arena’s rising cheers, turning Lamens’s underdog grit into mounting errors as rallies extended.
This debut eased the pressure of defending a title forged in Perth’s team fires two years back. Lys’s straightforward depth over risky nets kept points short and controlled, a shift from her 2024 overreaches that had cost key matches. As Group F heats up against Poland and Chile, her win reframes her from rising talent to reliable anchor.
Injury tests deepen her resolve
Up 5-2 in the first set, Lys paused for a medical timeout to tape blisters, a scrape from the abrasive courts that tested her footwork. She returned focused, but the second set brought a slip on a Lamens drop shot at 1-1, jarring her knee and forcing a quick shake-out during another deuce hold. Lys pushed through, breaking right after with crosscourt passing shots that sliced the air, her 72 percent first-serve points underscoring the adjustment.
Lamens’s low slices lost steam as Lys anticipated better, stepping in for aggressive returns that neutralized the spin. The Dutch player’s unforced errors piled up in those prolonged exchanges, her flat shots skidding unpredictably on the outdoor hard. Lys’s endurance outlasted the persistence, flipping their head-to-head to 1-1 and signaling her growth in high-stakes ties.
Zverev poised to clinch the tie
With Germany leading 1-0, Alexander Zverev now faces Tallon Griekspoor, the Netherlands captain and World No. 26, in men’s singles. The World No. 3’s powerful inside-out game suits these courts, where his serve-volley mixes could overwhelm Griekspoor’s steady returns. Fans can follow via United Cup: Scores and United Cup: Standings, as every point shapes Group F’s path.
This flying start blends Lys’s mental fortitude with tactical savvy, positioning the 2024 champions for another deep run amid the event’s format demands. Her performance not only avenges a loss but sets a tone of quiet steel, ready for the United Cup’s unfolding pressures in Sydney.
