Greece sprints past Japan in winning United Cup start

Stefanos Tsitsipas and teammate Maria Sakkari put recent injuries in the rear view mirror on Friday with a 3-0 defeat of Japan in an opening tie at the United Cup in Perth.

Tsitsipas, who once ranked third in the world, played and won his first match since mid-September when back pain kept him off court and searching for a cure.

Sakkari is also coming back after injury difficulties of her own last season.

The pair showed top form in the pair of singles wins which clinched the tie at the 18-nation mixed-team tournament being played on both coasts of Australia.

Tsitsipas defeated Shintaro Mochizuki 6-3, 6-4 while Sakkari beat Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-2 with the four-time Grand Slam champion suffering with a head cold picked up before Christmas.

“I was not operating at the percent I would want, I did not play amazing,” Osaka said. “Honestly, it was not a bad first match for what it was. 

“I’m thankful I have another to play. I need to not be afraid of making mistakes.”

Tsitsipas was also unsure of how he would feel on the court in his first competitive test in almost four months.

“I’ve had a lot of uncertainty, I didn’t know if I could compete. But to play at this level is something I’m very grateful for.

“I’m healthy and that’s the most important thing in the world. I hope this tournament can give me some confidence before the Australian Open (from January 18)..”

Sebastian Baez and Solana Sierra led Argentina to a 3-0 defeat of Spain.

Main photo:- Stefanos Tsitsipas winning in Perth -Tennis Australia/Getty Images