A spot in the United Cup knockout stage is up for grabs for both the Netherlands and Croatia on Day 5, as they face off in Sydney. Both teams will look to bring their best tennis in order to qualify on Tuesday, with the Netherlands thriving on the doubles court, and Croatia having arguably the better singles players when at their peak. It will be a fascinating contrast of styles that should come down to the wire.
United Cup Day 5 Predictions
Borna Coric vs Tallon Griekspoor
Head-to-head: Coric 1-0
Coric ended his 2023 season early after losing underwhelming to Sebastian Baez at the US Open. Overall, his 2023 campaign was one of the worst seasons in his career, slipping to The 27-year-old lost to Casper Ruud in his previous United Cup match, managing only five games in a low-quality performance. However, Coric’s defensive game can pay off when at his best, evident in his Masters 1000 victory at the 2022 Cincinnati Open. Coric relies on defense and counterpunching, which will surely counter Griekspoor’s playing style which gears toward offense.
Meanwhile, Griekspoor was also defeated rather easily by Ruud. Due to the cancellation of the tournament, he was unable to defend his maiden ATP-tour title at the ATP 2500 event in Pune. Ranked in the Top 25, he’ll surely look to claim a spot in the Top 20 this season. At the moment, Griekspoor is simply the better player on the court, but this match could go either way given both players didn’t look great in their opening match.
Prediction: Griekspoor in 3
Donna Vekic vs Arantxa Rus
Head-to-head: Vekic 2-0
While Vekic is the stronger player on the court as the World #23, Rus holds the edge by playing a better match this week in Sydney. After Vekic initially looked good in her match against World #539 Malene Helge, she had to scrap past her Norwegian opponent in a third set. Rus was meanwhile able to win against Helge far more easily in their match. Vekic defeated Rus rather easily at the WTA Palermo Open in 2020, winning 6-1 6-2. However, Rus has surely improved in form since then, claiming her first WTA title in Hamburg last year. This matchup will showcase a variety of styles on the court, and of course, displays a classic contrast of righty versus lefty games. In the end, I’ll take Vekic to win this match, in two very close and competitive sets.
Prediction: Vekic in 2
Donna Vekic/Ivan Dodig vs Demi Schuurs/Wesley Koolhof
Head-to-head: First meeting
Schuurs and Koolhof are one of the few pairs at this tournament that play mixed doubles events outside the United Cup. As a team, they reached the semifinals of the 2021 French Open as the #3 seed. On the Croatia side of the court, Dodig certainly possesses great skill on the doubles court as the 2023 French Open doubles champion, but surprisingly lost alongside Vekic to singles specialists Eikeri and Ruud on Monday.
Schuurs and Koolhof will likely have strategies to target Vekic’s lack of doubles prowess. They can also come up big in pressure-filled moments, which will pay off in this match. Ultimately, the Netherlands pair should win this matchup.
Prediction: Schuurs/Koolhof in 2
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
