PERTH, Australia — Host Australia advanced to the quarterfinals of the United Cup on Monday with a 2-1 victory over defending champion United States.
Matthew Ebden and Storm Hunter combined effectively in the decisive mixed doubles match to beat Jessica Pegula and Rajeev Ram 6-3, 6-1 in Perth and ensured that Australia finished top of Group C in the 18-country mixed-teams event with the Americans second.
“This means everything,” Hunter said. “It is a dream come true. Playing in front of the home crowd and playing with Matty, a Perth local, it is a dream come true to win and go into the quarterfinals at home.”
Alex de Minaur had provided Australia with a 1-0 lead by beating Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-2 but Pegula responded by defeating Ajla Tomljanovic 7-6 (6), 6-3 to make it 1-1.
No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek led Poland into the quarterfinals, winning both her singles and doubles matches in Perth while France kept its hopes alive with a thrilling 2-1 win over Germany in Sydney.
Swiatek needed to win her singles match against Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo to keep the tie alive. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina had given Spain a 1-0 lead with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 comeback victory over No. 9-ranked Hubert Hurkacz.
Swiatek beat Sorribes Tormo 6-2, 6-1 to force a mixed doubles decider. Swiatek, a four-time Grand Slam singles champion, and Hurkacz then needed little more than a half-hour to wrap up the tie with a 6-0, 6-0 win to make Poland the first country through to the quarterfinals.
Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain hits a forehand return to Iga Swiatek of Poland during the United Cup tennis tournament in Perth, Australia, Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. Credit: AP/Trevor Collens
France’s Caroline Garcia and Edouard Roger-Vasselin saved a match point in the decisive mixed doubles against Angelique Kerber and Alexander Zverev to win 7-6 (4), 2-6, 12-10.
“Crazy match, crazy end. So happy we got through,” Roger-Vasselin said. “Thanks for the crowd, for the French crowd who stayed that late. I…
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