World No.1 Iga Swiatek, imperial in singles and mixed doubles, allowed Poland to beat Spain and reach the quarter-finals of the United Cup, a mixed national team tennis competition, a stage also reached by Australia on Monday.
In Perth, it was the Poles who finished at the top of Group A at the expense of the Spaniards.
The latter, however, ideally started this decisive confrontation with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory for Alejandro Davidovich at the expense of Hubert Hurkacz.
But Swiatek managed to restore the balance alone in the other singles, won with authority 6-2, 6-1 against Sara Sorribes 6-2, 6-1, before a mixed doubles won without embellishment 6-0, 6-0 in 43 minutes, alongside Hurkacz, against the Sorribes-Davidovich pair.
“She carried me throughout the match, in every play she made incredible shots,” reacted Hurkacz.
Later, from Group C, Australia was the second nation to punch its ticket for the quarters, benefiting from its victory against the defending champion United States.
The mixed doubles also proved decisive, with Matthew Ebden and Storm Hunter easily defeating Jessica Pegula and Rajeev Ram 6-3, 6-1.
“It means so much…” Hunter commented. “Playing in front of your home crowd and with Matty, who lives in Perth, to win and go to the quarter-finals at home, it’s a dream come true.”
Alex de Minaur had put the Australians on the right track by beating Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-2, before the American Jessica Pegula managed to equalize with her victory over Ajla Tomljanovic 7-6 (8/6), 6 -3.
In Sydney, France made a successful start to the competition, winning against Germany in Group D, thanks in particular to Caroline Garcia.
Stronger than Angelique Kerber, knocked down 1-6, 6-2, 6-2, she equalized the scores after Adrian Mannarino’s 6-4, 4-6, 3-6 loss against Alexander Zverev, before winning the mixed doubles, associated with Edouard Roger-Vasselin, to the detriment of the Zverev/Kerber pair 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 12-10.
Finally, in Group F, Casper Ruud’s Norway beat Croatia. The former world No.2 dismissed Borna Coric 6-4, 6-1 before Malene Helgo lost to Donna Vekic 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. But Ruud, associated in doubles with Ulrikke Eikeri against Vekic and Ivan Dodig, brought the victory point to the Norwegians who are recovering after their inaugural defeat against the Netherlands.
The United Cup brings together eighteen nations in six pools divided between Sydney and Perth. The first in each group and the two best runners-up will face each other in the quarter-finals.
