Czechia takes on China on Day 2 of the 2024 United Cup. It’s the opening match of group E, which also contains Serbia, headlined by World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. Who will get their campaign off to a great start and who will find themselves under a lot of pressure ahead of their next tie? Czechia seem like the favorites, but don’t underestimate the explosive Chinese duo.
Jiri Lehecka vs Zhizhen Zhang
Head-to-head: First meeting
Jiri Lehecka had a fabulous Australian summer in 2023, making the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and impressing basically from the get-go. He didn’t quite follow it up, but remained a solid top 50 player all the way until the end of the year. Zhizhen Zhang is right up there with him though, gathering up the experience and becoming a more mature version of himself as the season went on. Who takes this one? It’s very hard to tell. If Lehecka can come out of the blocks as well as last year and attack the Chinese with ventures to the net, he could take away the first strike from Zhang and seriously limit his attacking possibilities.
Prediction: Lehecka in 3
Marketa Vondrousova vs Qinwen Zheng
Head-to-head: First meeting
Qinwen Zheng finished her 2023 campaign on a very high note, coming one match away from breaking the top 10 at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai. It’s impossible to know if she’ll keep going like this in the new season, but she’s obviously got the talent for it and could be lined up for some huge results this year. Marketa Vondrousova has the tools to disrupt her, throw in different spins and slow down the offensive power of the Chinese. But given that the conditions in Perth have been looking pretty fast so far, it could be just the boost that Zheng needs to claim this match.
Prediction: Zheng in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
