Zhu Lin and Zhang Zhizhen lead China to 2-1 win over Belgium at United Cup

China began its campaign at the United Cup in Sydney, Australia, with a dramatic 2-1 win over Belgium in Group B on Saturday.

In the initial women's singles match, Elise Mertens dominated China's Zhu Lin 6-2, 6-2 in an hour and 18 minutes.

Zhu's 2025 season was marked by a difficult start, including a six-month break due to an elbow injury. She later picked up some much-needed momentum when, competing on home turf at the Ningbo Open in October, the Chinese talent claimed a notable first-round victory over Great Britain's former US Open champion Emma Raducanu.

The 31-year-old followed up that success by stunning Mirra Andreeva, with the Russian sitting at World No. 6 at the time, to advance to the quarterfinals, before finishing the season ranked 168th.

Against the current World No. 20 and Belgian number one Mertens, however, Zhu found the challenge too strong. Opening her 12th WTA season in style, Mertens eased to a straight-set win, giving the European side a 1-0 overall lead.

China's Zhang Zhizhen then outlasted Zizou Bergs 6-7, 7-6, 7-5 in a two-hour-and-53-minute men's singles match.

Zhang, the first man from the Chinese mainland in the Open Era to crack the Top 100, defeat a top-five opponent at a Grand Slam, and reach the quarterfinals at a Masters 1000 event, hit 12 aces and did not face a break point against Bergs.

The 29-year-old, who missed six months last season due to a shoulder injury, shrugged off 18 aces from his Belgian opponent to prevail in three sets, helping China level the overall score at 1-1.

All four players returned to the court for the deciding mixed doubles match, which Zhu and Zhang won 5-7, 7-6, 10-6 to seal China's victory.

Belgium's Mertens and Bergs started strongly with a 5-0 lead, before Zhu and Zhang pulled level at 5-5. Mertens, a four-time Grand Slam doubles champion, then stood out as she and Bergs took the first set 7-5.

Zhu and Zhang surged to a 5-2 lead in the second set, which eventually went into a tiebreaker. The Chinese pair grabbed the extra session 7-5, setting up a decisive 10-point tiebreaker.

Zhu and Zhang maintained their momentum to triumph 10-6 in the first-to-10 frame, clinching a 2-1 overall win for China, and they will face second-seeded Canada on Sunday.