In a compelling display of skill and tenacity, Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz have advanced the United States to the semifinals of the United Cup mixed teams tennis event. This achievement underscores the prowess of the American team, who were the tournament’s winners two years ago.
On a thrilling day for tennis fans in Perth, Coco Gauff set the stage for the U.S. team with a hard-fought victory over China’s Zhang Shuai. Gauff triumphed with a scoreline of 7-6 (4), 6-2. Despite facing aggressive play from Shuai, which kept her on the defensive for much of the match, Gauff’s resilience and strategic serves paid off. She commented, ‘Shuai was playing amazing tennis out there. I was literally on the ground for most of the match.’
Following Gauff’s win, Taylor Fritz secured the U.S. advancement by edging out China’s Zhang Zhizhen in a competitive match that ended 6-4, 6-4. This victory was crucial in ensuring the United States’ place in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan also secured their spot in the semifinals with a 2-1 victory over Germany. The German team faced a setback as their top-ranked player, Alexander Zverev, was unable to play due to a biceps injury. In his absence, Daniel Masur replaced him to face Alexander Shevchenko. Despite a valiant effort, Masur fell to Shevchenko with a score of 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-2.
During the match, Shevchenko was momentarily affected by heat exhaustion but managed to dominate the latter stages of the match. Discussing his struggle, he stated, ‘It was a heat problem for sure. I had a bit of a headache, my head was spinning.’
In Sydney, the Polish team also made headlines with their performance. Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurcacz clinched their deciding mixed doubles match against the Czech Republic, with a score of 7-6 (3), 6-3, ensuring Poland’s progress to the quarterfinals. Earlier, Swiatek had balanced the scales after Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic took an initial win over Hurcacz.
Also noteworthy is the British team’s advancement, courtesy of Katie Boulter’s straight-sets win over Olivia Gadecki of Australia, which guaranteed Britain’s place in the quarterfinals. Boulter, knowing the stakes, entered the match with the objective of a decisive victory.
In the host city, Australia, Alex de Minaur brought the team level by defeating Billy Harris and later, with Olivia Gadecki, won the mixed doubles match against Charles Broom and Olivia Nicholls, though this was not enough for Australia to secure a spot in the final eight.
Lastly, Italy claimed Group D to advance to the quarterfinals despite the absence of their top player, Jannik Sinner. Their past success in Davis Cups highlights their competitive strength, even without their star player.
The United Cup continues to captivate with high-stakes matches and remarkable athletic performances. As play shifts to Sydney, all eyes will be on the semifinals to see which teams will emerge victorious.
Source: Local10
