The Chinese team’s former conqueror makes a comeback to reach the United Cup semifinals, while Yuan Yue’s 45-minute swift defeat sparks heated discussion online.

At the 2026 United Cup tennis tournament, Belgium unexpectedly defeated the Czech team to secure a spot in the semifinals, attracting significant attention. Having lost their debut match to China, Belgium’s impressive turnaround by dominating Canada and the Czech Republic to reach the semifinals amazed many. On a different court, Chinese player Yuan Yue exited quickly after only 45 minutes at the WTA125 Canberra tournament; her upcoming event is the Australian Open women’s singles qualifying rounds.

Before the United Cup clash between Belgium and the Czech Republic, most predictions favored the Czech team, given that they featured strong players like Menšík and Krejčíková, making them the clear favorites on paper.

Belgium had lost their opening match against China, but then Berghs and Mertens unleashed incredible energy against Canada, sweeping them 3-0, which became the biggest surprise of the tournament so far.

Pre-match odds gave the Czech team about a 60% chance to win, making them the clear favorites. Most tennis analysts believed the Czech squad was more balanced overall. Tennis legend McEnroe even joked on social media, “Belgium would need a miracle to beat both Canada and the Czech Republic.” He praised the Czech doubles coordination as their key to victory but added that if Belgium could make breakthroughs in singles, the outcome might still change.

In the first singles match, Belgium’s Berghs faced Czech Menšík. Unexpectedly, Menšík started poorly, making frequent baseline errors, allowing Berghs to take the first set easily at 6-2.

In the second set, Menšík improved with encouragement from teammates and coaching advice, but Berghs’ serving remained dominant. The set went to a tiebreak, where Berghs stayed composed and clinched it 7-6(4), securing the first point for Belgium. Notably, during the tiebreak, Berghs adjusted her return position and became more aggressive at the net, disrupting Menšík’s rhythm effectively.

The second singles match turned out to be decisive. Belgium’s Mertens faced Czech star Krejčíková in a battle lasting over two hours. Mertens lost the first set 5-7 but quickly regained composure, winning the second set decisively 6-1, pushing the match into a final set.

The final set was fiercely contested, with the score tied at 5-5. At a critical moment, Mertens changed her return strategy by adopting a more aggressive position and targeting her opponent’s forehand, which led to a crucial break in the 11th game, allowing her to close the match 7-5.

After the match, Belgium’s coach revealed they had developed a detailed tactical plan targeting the Czech players’ technical traits, especially preparing thoroughly for handling Krejčíková’s spin shots.

Statistics showed Mertens led in winners 28 to 21 and committed five fewer unforced errors than her opponent. She excelled in key points, saving five out of seven break points. In contrast, Krejčíková appeared a bit impatient during crucial moments in the final set, making several unforced mistakes.

Mertens expressed her emotions after the match: “It was an extremely tough match; Krejčíková is an outstanding opponent. Our team never gave up, and even after losing to China, we believed we could bounce back.”

The Belgian team captain stated, “We learned a lot from our first loss, and the players showed true team spirit in the following matches. The semifinal against Switzerland will be another tough challenge, but we are ready.”

“When Belgium lost to China in the first match, I thought they’d finish last in the group, but then they defeated two strong teams, Canada and the Czech Republic, to reach the semifinals!” This comment received high praise online.

Another netizen analyzed, “The match against Switzerland could be evenly matched. Belgium’s morale is high now, but Switzerland has top players like Bencic.”

Meanwhile, at the WTA125 Canberra event, Chinese player Yuan Yue reached the quarterfinals. Pre-match odds heavily favored her opponent, Bo-Kudermetova. Fans generally believed Kudermetova’s power game, especially her strong serve and forehand attack, posed a significant threat to Yuan. To succeed, Yuan needed to maintain a high serve percentage, minimize unforced errors, and use her speed to disrupt her opponent’s rhythm.

The match unfolded contrary to many expectations, as Yuan struggled against Kudermetova’s powerful offense. In the first set, she managed to hold only one service game, losing 1-6 quickly. The second set did not improve; Yuan lost all her service games and was defeated 0-6, with the entire match lasting just 45 minutes—a rapid exit.

During the match, Yuan appeared helpless against her opponent’s serve, with a return point success rate below 30%. Her baseline rallies failed to put enough pressure on Kudermetova, and she scored very few winners.

“The entire match lasted only 45 minutes, that’s way too short. Yuan Yue was completely off today. After the first two rounds, we thought she was making a comeback, but all the flaws showed up again in this match,” commented one viewer.

Another fan expressed understanding: “Her opponent was the tournament’s third seed, so the skill gap was real. Hopefully, Yuan can learn from this experience and prepare well for the Australian Open qualifiers.”

Some supporters encouraged her: “Next stop is the Australian Open women’s qualifiers. Adjust your mindset and start fresh! Chinese tennis needs more experience in international competitions.”

Two venues, two outcomes, together illustrating the harshness and allure of competitive sports.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Lu Xiaotian)