United Cup weekend singles tennis acca tips: Djokovic to open season with a win

With 14 singles matches across Saturday and Sunday, we are in for a bumper start to the tennis season.

Friday's matchups saw Great Britain and Spain go over Australia and Brazil with their singles players winning.

The tournament gets into full swing on Saturday with the Netherlands facing Norway, Czech Republic taking on China, Italy facing Germany and Canada going head to head with Chile.

Here, we make our picks for the 14 singles matches across the weekend.

 

United Cup Men: Tallon Griekspoor vs Casper Ruud | Pick: Ruud

United Cup Men: Jiri Lehecka vs Zhizhen Zhang | Pick: Zhang

United Cup Men: Lorenzo Sonego vs Alexander Zverev | Pick: Zverev

United Cup Men: Hubert Hurkacz vs Thiago Seyboth Wild | Pick: Hurkacz

United Cup Men: Felix Auger Aliassime vs Nicolas Jarry | Pick: Auger-Aliassime

United Cup Men: Taylor Fritz vs Cameron Norrie | Pick: Fritz

United Cup Men: Zhizhen Zhang vs Novak Djokovic | Pick: Djokovic

United Cup Women: Arantxa Rus vs Malene Helgo | Pick: Rus

United Cup Women: Marketa Vondrousova vs Qinwen Zheng | Pick: Vondrousova

United Cup Women: Jasmine Paolini vs Angelique Kerber | Pick: Paolini

United Cup Women: Iga Swiatek vs Beatriz Haddad Maia | Pick: Swiatek

United Cup Women: Leylah Annie Fernandez vs Daniela Seguel | Pick: Fernandez

United Cup Women: Jessica Pegula vs Katie Boulter | Pick: Pegula

United Cup Women: Qinwen Zheng vs Olga Danilovic | Pick: Zheng

 

United Cup Men: Tallon Griekspoor vs Casper Ruud

Tallon Griekspoor has experience upsetting Casper Ruud but may find the Norwegian not in the mood to give any leeway.

Griekspoor holds a 2-1 lead in the head-to-head between these players, but Ruud will be the favoured player in this clash.

Ruud cannot afford to take world No 21 Griekspoor lightly in this one but will know the challenges he brings.

Ruud is out to put in a much improved performance this season and will want a good start

 

United Cup Men: Jiri Lehecka vs Zhizhen Zhang

The first meeting between rising stars of the men's game Jiri Lehecka and Zhizhen Zhang comes in this interesting format.

Even if players lose they will have to play more than one singles match but these two will struggle manfully for the point for their team.

Both players are less illustrious than their WTA counterparts and will be under pressure to get the result for their country.

Zhang's late season form at home might just give him the momentum to get one over on Lehecka this time around.

 

United Cup Men: Lorenzo Sonego vs Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev has easily put away Lorenzo Sonego in their two previous meetings and will be out to sweep beyond the Italian.

Zverev beat Sonego in straight sets in their last meeting in March of 2023 in Dubai.

Sonego is yet to take a set off Zverev over the course of those two encounters.

This doesn't look like a match that Zverev should be losing by any stretch of the imagination.

 

United Cup Men: Hubert Hurkacz vs Thiago Seyboth Wild

Hubert Hurkacz starts his United Cup against a player looking to bounce back from defeat.

Seyboth Wild lost to Spain's Alejandrio Davidovich Fokina as Brazil went down in their opener.

Seyboth Wild will be playing to stay in the tournament, but Brazil are really up against it in this tie.

Hurkacz should have his bases covered against Seyboth Wild.

 

United Cup Men: Felix Auger Aliassime vs Nicolas Jarry

Canada have been excellent in recent team events and Felix Auger Aliassime can keep that roll going against Nicolas Jarry.

These players haven't clashed since Auger Aliassime beat Jarry in a 2017 Challenger event in Lyon.

Jarry holds a ten place edge on the rankings over the Canadian but time away from the game must be factored in.

Auger Aliassime had the stronger finish to his season, claiming the title in Basel.

 

United Cup Men: Taylor Fritz vs Cameron Norrie

Cameron Norrie should be high on confidence after a big opening win over Alex De Minaur and Great Britain's triumph.

However, he will face a very different type of opponent when he takes on Fritz.

The United States have a strong team and are out to defend their United Cup title in style.

Fritz vs Norrie could be the key matchup for the USA to get launched off the ground in this edition.

 

United Cup Men: Zhizhen Zhang vs Novak Djokovic

On Sunday, Novak Djokovic takes centre stage for his season-opener against Zhizhen Zhang.

Zhang will have come off the match against Lehecka on Saturday and that will only have give Novak Djokovic another chance to scout him.

Djokovic won't want to give up an inch while representing Serbia.

This match should be very one-sided if Djokovic hits his level early on.

 

United Cup Women: Arantxa Rus vs Malene Helgo

Arantxa Rus holds a 2-1 edge over Malene Helgo in their head-to-head rivalry, but the 24-year-old Norwegian is up against it to get a result in this one.

Rus holds a huge edge in the rankings right now, with Helgo winning just 13 matches across the 2023 season.

Rus can seal a return to the top 50 with a win over Helgo and could also be playing to clinch the tie for Holland or keep it alive.

The experience edge of the Dutch player will be the difference-maker here.

 

United Cup Women: Marketa Vondrousova vs Qinwen Zheng

One of the most intriguing matches on Saturday sees Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova take on China's Qinwen Zheng.

Vondrousova had a mixed season with her Wimbledon performance her standout run.

Zheng is making good progress as a player and could be a good player to back to pull off an upset of sorts.

If Vondrousova is at her best, she should have too much firepower for Zheng to handle.

 

United Cup Women: Jasmine Paolini vs Angelique Kerber

Former world No 1 Angelique Kerber plays her comeback match in the colours of Germany and has a tough opponent in Jasmine Paolini.

Italy need Paolini to have the beating of a player who has been out for some time.

Kerber has been away from tennis for over a year after starting a family but is back in earnest.

Paolini would expect to be able to get the better of Kerber even if she is a former No 1.

 

United Cup Women: Iga Swiatek vs Beatriz Haddad Maia

The current world No 1 Iga Swiatek and Beatriz Haddad Maia headline Saturday's action.

Swiatek starts her 2024 season with this match, and Hadda Maia might see that as an opening.

Haddad Maia has won their only clash on a hard court, upsetting Swiatek in Toronto in 2022.

Swiatek has won the most recent clash between the two and in straight sets and that could speak volumes to where this match will go.

 

United Cup Women: Leylah Annie Fernandez vs Daniela Seguel

Leylah Fernandez will be expected to get the better of Daniela Seguel in their first ever meeting.

Fernandez has been playing at a much higher level than Seguel.

Chile are the underdogs in this tie for a reason and this match is a tough ask for the world No 668.

Fernandez should be able to stamp her authority on this match and get some sort of impetus in this event.

 

United Cup Women: Jessica Pegula vs Katie Boulter

Jessica Pegula faces a buoyed Katie Boulter in her first match of the 2024 season.

Pegula will be expected to take this match but with Boulter having already played that adds another dimension to the clash.

This will be the first clash between these players who are seperated by 51 rankings places.

Top-ten star Pegula looks like she should be able to dominate this encounter for the USA.

 

United Cup Women: Qinwen Zheng vs Olga Danilovic

Olga Danilovic has a big task ahead of her in following up Novak Djokovic for Serbia when she takes on Qinwen Zheng.

Danilovic is ranked just outside the top 100 and faces the world No 15 in her first match for Serbia in the United Cup.

Zheng could be reeling from her meeting with Swiatek but just as easily would be fired up.

It will be a test of Zheng's composure, but she should be able to win this one for China.