Coupled mathematical models are used successfully to represent systemic blood flow with different degrees of precision: for example, 3D representations in zones of particular interest (e.g., the aortic bifurcation) are embedded into 1D models who account for systemic blood circulation. When it comes to the lymphatic system, various 1D models for systemic lymph flow have been developed, however it is not clear whether they can be readily used in the context of a coupled mathematical model. In this work, we give an overview of the lymphatic system and its components in order to justify the interest for a 1D model of systemic lymph flow which can be coupled with 3D representations of specific zones. Then, we develop a one-dimensional model for lymph flow with exactly this property. In particular, we propose a formulation for the compliance of the walls of lymphatic vessels and of the sinuses of lymph nodes, as well as a novel formulation to mimic the phase contractions of lymphatic endothelial cells. Moreover, we give details and insight on the eigenvalues and characteristics of our proposed system for one-dimensional lymph flow, in order to highlight why and how coupling with 3D representations is possible. Finally, we perform a set of numerical experiments to study the applicability of our model.