Germany staged a remarkable comeback to surprise Poland 2-1 in Sydney, clinching the United Cup trophy after hours of hard work on Sunday.
After facing two championship points against Hubert Hurkacz, Alexander Zverev, alongside Laura Siegemund, returned to Ken Rosewall Arena to overcome Hurkacz and WTA No. 1 Iga Swiatek 6-4, 5-7, 10-4 for the coveted title at 12:45 a.m.
Germany fought from behind throughout the tournament, securing the second spot in Group D and narrowly making it to the quarter-finals based on the percentage of games won.
The duo of Siegemund and Zverev emerged victorious in critical mixed doubles matches on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, ultimately claiming the championship.
In the semi-finals on Saturday, Angelique Kerber saved two match points against Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic, while Siegemund/Zverev rescued two match points against Matthew Ebden and Storm Hunter in a match that concluded after 2:15 a.m.
Germany faced elimination once again in the championship match when Hurkacz had the title within reach at 6/4 in the second-set tie-break. Zverev's resilience saved two match points, leading to the deciding mixed doubles.
In the second set, Hurkacz was broken while serving to force a decider, but the Polish team showed resilience by breaking back to win the set at 6-5.
However, Germany took an early lead in the Match Tie-break, and despite Poland's impressive record of winning 12 out of 15 matches in the 2024 United Cup, they were unable to mount a comeback.
