Perth, Jan 1 (NationPress) Kazakhstan achieved an impressive victory in the United Cup semifinals by eliminating the defending champions Germany with a commanding 2-0 lead in their quarterfinal matchup on Wednesday.

In a physically demanding contest, the 24-year-old Alexander Shevchenko came from behind to defeat Daniel Masur with scores of 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-2, giving Kazakhstan an unbeatable 2-0 advantage after Elena Rybakina had earlier secured a strong 6-3, 6-1 win against Laura Siegemund in the tournament's knockout phase.

Masur stepped in to replace World No. 2 Alexander Zverev, who had to withdraw due to a bicep strain, but was unable to produce a significant upset to keep Germany in contention.

"I’m truly proud to have contributed this victory for our team, as I was battling intensely. I noticed the determination in my teammates' expressions; they didn’t want to leave it to a decider. I felt some nerves, knowing that if I won, the tie would be concluded," Shevchenko commented.

Kazakhstan is set to head to Sydney for the semifinals. After being eliminated in their debut at the United Cup in 2023 with an 0-2 record, they now have the opportunity to vie for the championship.

On a different note, Hubert Hurkacz and Iga Swiatek secured Poland's top position in Group B on Wednesday, overcoming Czechia's Tomas Machac and Karolina Muchova with a scoreline of 7-6(3), 6-3 to clinch a vital 2-1 tie and advance to the quarterfinals of the United Cup.

Machac had initially propelled Czechia to the brink of the quarterfinals with a closely contested 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Hurkacz, but Iga Swiatek managed to push the tie to a decisive mixed doubles match by winning against Muchova 6-3, 6-4.

Hurkacz delivered the duo’s 11th ace of the match, achieving victory after one hour and 25 minutes. The Polish team converted five out of 11 break points against the Czech players.

"Honestly, I was confident they would play exceptional tennis since they always field strong doubles and mixed doubles teams. They’ve been raised to excel in that format. However, I knew we had the capability to win. We were in control from the start, and although it got tight towards the end of the first set, I felt we maintained the upper hand, which showed in the tie-break. Ultimately, it seemed like we had everything well managed," Swiatek expressed.

Czechia still has a chance to secure a quarterfinal spot by finishing as the best second-placed team in Sydney. Machac, Muchova, and their teammates will need to closely monitor the tie between Australia and Britain.