Poland has earned the chance to avenge last year’s United Cup final loss to the United States after winning a decisive mixed doubles against Australia in Friday night’s quarter-final in Sydney.
After Iga Swiatek and Alex de Minaur claimed contrasting singles wins for their countries earlier in the evening, Jan Zielinski produced a masterclass with Katarzyna Kawa to seal Poland's victory with a 6-4, 6-0 win over John-Patrick Smith and Storm Hunter.
Advancing to the semi-finals for the fourth consecutive year, Poland will get a shot at defending champion United States Saturday night when the singles match-ups – Swiatek against Coco Gauff and Hurkacz against Taylor Fritz - are a repeat of the 2025 final. Last year Gauff won 6-4, 6-4 while Hurkacz suffered a heartbreaking third-set tie-break loss to Fritz.
In a dramatic tie Friday in front of a highly partisan Australian crowd, De Minaur produced one of the grittiest opening-set performances of his career Friday night in Sydney to set up a 6-4, 4-6 6-4 win over Hurkacz to send the last United Cup quarter-final to a deciding mixed doubles.
The World No. 6 saved all nine break points he faced across his first four service games – including four in the second game of the match – to keep Australia alive after former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek brushed aside Aussie teen Maya Joint 6-1, 6-1.
“Nights like these… these are just the best,” De Minaur said. “I love playing here. The atmosphere from the first ball to the last was amazing.
“I just had to fight him off from the first point to the last. It was a huge mental effort and we’re still alive. I’m glad I was able to bounce back after losing that second set. I had some dark thoughts in my head.”
The tie will now be decided by the mixed doubles, with the winner advancing to Saturday night’s semi-final against defending champion United States. None of the four singles players will compete in the mixed doubles. Australians John-Patrick Smith and Storm Hunter will take on Jan Zielinski and Katarzyna Kawa.
Playing his first tournament since last year’s grass season, Hurkcaz was near untouchable in his first three service games when he dropped just one point on serve. But growing increasingly frustrated by his inability to cash in on his chances in return games, his unforced error count ticked up in the closing stages of the set.
After De Minaur saved three break points to level at 4-4, the 26-year-old claimed the decisive break and then won 21 consecutive points on serve before unexpectedly dropping serve at the end of the second set.
But inspired by deafening roars from Aussie fans inside Ken Rosewall Arena, De Minaur went into lockdown mode with just two unforced errors in the final set en route to his eighth victory in 11 United Cup singles appearances.
Earlier, Swiatek overpowered Australia rising star Joint, capturing a convincing 6-1, 6-1 win in just 57 minutes at the United Cup quarterfinals.
From start to finish, the World No. 2’s experience prevailed as the Swiatek earned her second career win over Joint: Swiatek won 6-0, 6-2 in the Seoul semifinals, a tournament she’d go on to win. Swiatek also earned her 15th singles win at the United Cup.
“I think the intensity -- the balls get quite heavy so I’m happy that I was always pushing forward,” Swiatek said on court. “I got pretty confident at the end so for sure it was a good match.”
Joint held serve to have an initial 1-0 lead, but after, the Swiatek show ensued. The six-time Grand Slam champion overwhelmingly controlled the rallies, often forcing Joint to scramble from side-to-side just to keep the rally alive.
Swiatek won six straight games to win the first set with a breadstick in 26 minutes and had garnered “Iga” chants from her Polish supporters early on into the match. Her set point, a cross-court forehand winner that sped past an outstretched Joint, summed up the match best.
In the second, Swiatek and Joint traded holds, the latter of which earned some encouragement from the home crowd. Similarly, Swiatek recaptured the lead with a break, and didn’t look back, en route to the double breadstick win.
