Poland and Australia reached the semi-finals of the United Cup with clean sweeps over China and Serbia, the latter which saw ATP World No 1 Novak Djokovic toppled by Alex de Minaur, while there was another stellar performance from the WTA World No 1 Iga Swiatek, who beat the talented young Chinese Qinwen Zheng in two sets after her compatriot Hubert Hurkacz had dispatched Zhang Zhizhen.
When you go up against Novak you have to go out and enjoy it, and back yourself and, no matter, what keep fighting until the end. Today was my day and I’m happy that I was able to get the win. Alex de Minaur
The Polish team must now fly to Sydney to play in the Last 4 and will be looking to surpass their run last year, when they lost to eventual champions USA in the inaugural mixed team competition.
The format has been changed for this year, though, which favours the two world-class players as only a men’s and women’s singles plus a mixed doubles are now played, as opposed to the former best-of-5 tie of before.
Swiatek has been rock solid in Perth, while Hurkacz, the ATP World No 9, has struggled at times in the rubbers he has played.
On Wednesday, Hurkacz was able to come through his match against Zhang in straight sets, 6-3 6-4, without any major difficulties, putting Poland 1-0 up, and on the brink of the semi-finals.
The Pole swung freely throughout the one-hour, 22-minute clash in Perth, backing up thunderous first serves with bulldozing forehands to improve to 3-1 in his Head-to-Head record against Zhang.
“It is always a tough match against him,” Hurkacz said. “He can play amazing shots and is such a tough competitor. I am really happy with that victory today.
“I believe I have more in my game but I was really happy with my performance today. Iga is insane. She is going to fight really hard for Poland now.”
Hurkacz is now 2-1 on the new season, having also defeated Brazil’s Thiago Seyboth Wild in Perth.
Iga Swiatek clinched Poland’s semi-semi slot by beating China’s Zhen Qinwen in straight sets
© Colin Murty/AFP via Getty Images
Four-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek followed, and took an hour and 34 minutes to beat 21-year-old Zheng, 6-2 6-3, and clinch the quarter-final tie.
“I’m really happy with my game, and also how the atmosphere in the team is,” Swiatek said on court, after her win. “I really feel like we can just be better when we’re together, so for sure playing [with Hurkacz] is an exciting thing to do, and I’m real happy with every match that I play here.”
Zheng, ranked at a career-high No 14 and the 2023 WTA Most Improved Player, came into the match 0-4 against Swiatek, but she had pushed the Pole to a deciding set on 3 of those 4 occasions.
The No 1 Chinese player went ahead by an early break on Wednesday as she aimed to get on the board in that head-to-head and collect her first win over a reigning World No 1.
22-year-old Swiatek, however, swiftly regrouped, and from 2-0 down she won won 11 consecutive points and the next 6 games to sweep through the first set, going 3-for-3 on break points in the opener.
Zheng continued to battle in the second, fighting back from 3-0 down and saving 5 break points in a gutsy hold for 3-3, but Swiatek claimed the decisive break at 5-3 with a sturdy return game, before converting her second match point to seal a trip to the semis for her nation, having won 80% of points when returning the Zheng second serve.
“I played up to my expectations in my singles,” Swiatek said. “Qinwen put some pressure on me, especially at the beginning of the match, but I was able to go even a level higher. I’m happy with how I played.”
Team Poland are ready to transfer to Sydney for the semi-finals of the United Cup.
© Paul Kane/Getty Images
Both Swiatek and Hurkacz sat out the mixed doubles, leaving it to 32-year old Katarzyna Piter and 27-year old Jan Zielinski to wrap up the clean sweep for Poland, 3-0.
In fact, Piter & Zielinski made it a perfect day for Poland by snatching the mixed doubles, 6-3 5-7 [10-7], over You Xiaodi & Sun Fajing.
Later, Swiatek praised organisers for having amended the schedule for 2024.
Last year, Poland reached the semis and they lost 5-0 to the United States in Sydney, on 6th January and 7th, having played their previous matches in Brisbane, which finished on 4th January.
This year, playing their group matches and quarter-final in Perth, the team now has time off prior to the Sydney knock-out matches, which begin on 6th January.
“I’m really happy that United Cup, kind of, listened to our feedback and are supporting us in terms of giving us time to get used to the new conditions,” the World No 1 said in a press conference alongside Hurkacz and captain Tomasz Wiktorowski. “Last year I remember the court in Sydney was a little bit different.
“Also it’s hard to, like, obviously was two hours of travel for us, but you have to pack, you have to unpack, spending the night at a different hotel. It feels different and you’re not in the routine and in the rhythm.
“I’m really happy that United Cup and everybody that organised this tournament listened to us, because there were many feedbacks that were the same as ours. I felt, for sure, last year, like, I couldn’t find my game suddenly.
“Hopefully this year is going to be a little bit better. We’ll do our best to use that one day of practice or, maybe two, I don’t know yet, to get used to the court.”
As they travel, Poland now awaits the winner of the quarter-final tie between France and Norway who play on Thursday.
Hosts Team Australia upset Serbia to secure their spot in the Sydney semi-finals
© Paul Kane/Getty Images
In the evening session, Australia stunned Serbia to book the home team’s spot in its first United Cup semi-final.
Alex de Minaur, ranked 12, led the way with an inspired upset win overDjokovic, the World No 1, 6-4 6-4, delivering a top-class all-around performance, during which he won 33 of 34 points behind his first serves and fired 5 aces to notch the biggest win of his career in 94 minutes.
It was the Serb’s first loss in Australia in 6 years, since losing to Chung Hyeon in the 4th round of the 2018 Australian Open, the end of his 43 streak of consecutive matches won, and 2,172 days undefeated in Australia.
Later, Djokovic claimed that he was denied a medical timeout by the tournament physio during the match, in which he failed to challenge the de Minaur serve in the first set, and was forced to save 3 break points.
Nevertheless, de Minaur managed one break of the Serb’s serve, and secured the opening set, before a similar story unfolded in the second as the Aussie upped his game further against the 24-time Grand Slam champion, who visibly struggled with his right wrist during the rubber.
Djokovic received treatment from the physio during the match for his ailing wrist on the court, but he claimed during his post-match press conference that the injury needed extra care, and the physio decided against awarding him a further medical timeout.
De Minaur tagged his United Cup 2024 win over Novak Djokovic as ‘extra special’ given the competitive nature of the Serb.
“When you go up against Novak you have to go out and enjoy it, and back yourself and, no matter, what keep fighting until the end,” he said. “Today was my day and I’m happy that I was able to get the win.”
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic received treatment to his right arm but was denied a further timeout by the trainer during his singles match against Alex de Minaur of Team Australia
© Paul Kane/Getty Images
Ajla Tomljanovic followed de Minaur to seal the victory, defeating Serbia’s Natalja Stevanovic, 6-1 6-1, to give Australia an insurmountable 2-0 lead.
Stevanovic, who is ranked 184, was called on to step in for Olga Danilovic, and, armed with a crafty slice-and-dice game, the Serb tested Tomljanovic’s discipline and patience early on.
The Australian, though, was up to the task, especially after her confidence-boosting performance against World No 5 Jessica Pegula on Tuesday.
Ranked No 292 after being sidelined by injury last year, Tomljanovic bounced back in November to notch an emotional title run at the WTA 125K in Florianopolis.
After breaking first for a 2-1 lead, Tomljanovic dominated the set to take it after only 31 minutes, limiting Stevanovic to just 14 points.
The trend continued through the second, which Tomljanovic controlled with her forehand down the stretch to seal her first win at the United Cup, and her first win of the season.
Doubles World No 1 Storm Hunter closed out the Australian 3-0 sweep, teaming with Matt Ebden to win the mixed doubles, 6-3 6-3, over Dejana Radanovic & Nicola Cacic.
Australia’s next opponents will either be Greece or Germany, the best runner-up of Group B, who face each other on Friday in Sydney.
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