Iga Swiatek’s opening win helps Poland beat Australia in the United Cup QFs | ATP tour | Tennis

United Cup

Swiatek’s opening win helps Poland beat Australia in the United Cup QFs

The Poles face familiar foe United States in the semi-finals, with two blockbuster singles on tap
January 9, 2026

Poland have earned the chance to avenge last year’s United Cup final loss to the United States after winning a decisive mixed doubles match against Australia in Friday night’s quarter-final in Sydney.

After Iga Swiatek and Alex de Minaur secured contrasting singles victories for their country 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.

Poland advances to the semifinals for the fourth year in a row and will get a shot at defending champions the United States on Saturday evening when the singles matches – Swiatek vs. Coco Gauff and Hurkacz vs. Taylor Fritz – are a repeat of the 2025 final. Last year, Gauff won 6-4, 6-4, while Hurkacz suffered a heartbreaking third-set tiebreak loss to Fritz.

In a dramatic draw on Friday in front of a highly partisan Australian crowd, De Minaur produced one of the grittiest opening set performances of his career in Sydney on Friday evening, sealing a 6-4, 4-6 6-4 victory over Hurkacz to send the final United Cup quarter-final to a decisive mixed doubles match.

The world number 6 saved all nine break points he faced in his first four service games – including four in the second game of the match – to keep Australia alive after former world number 1 Iga Swiatek brushed aside Australian teenager Maya Joint 6-1, 6-1.

“Evenings like this… these are just the best,” De Minaur said. “I like playing here. The atmosphere from the first ball to the last was great.

“I just had to fight him 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 champions United States. None of the four singles players will participate in the mixed doubles. Australians John-Patrick Smith and Storm Hunter will compete against Jan Zielinski and Katarzyna Kawa.

Playing his first tournament since last year’s grass season, Hurkcaz was virtually untouchable in his first three service games, losing just one point on serve. But he became increasingly frustrated by his inability to capitalize on his chances in the second leg and his unforced error count rose in the closing stages of the set.

After De Minaur saved three break points to make it 4-4, the 26-year-old claimed the decisive break and went on to win 21 consecutive points on serve before unexpectedly dropping serve at the end of the second set.

But inspired by the deafening roar of Australian fans at the Ken Rosewall Arena, De Minaur went into lockdown mode with just two unforced errors in the final set on his way to his eighth victory in eleven United Cup singles appearances.

Earlier, Swiatek overpowered Australian rising star Joint to complete a convincing 6-1, 6-1 win in just 57 minutes in the United Cup quarter-finals.

From start to finish, the world number 2’s experience prevailed as the Swiatek achieved her second career victory over Joint: Swiatek won 6-0, 6-2 in the semi-finals of Seoul, a tournament she would later win. Swiatek also recorded her 15th United Cup singles win.

“I think the intensity – the balls are getting pretty heavy, so I’m happy that I was always pushing forward,” Swiatek said on court. “It gave me quite a lot of confidence at the end, so it was definitely a good match.”

The joint serve initially provided a 1-0 lead, but then the Swiatek show followed. The six-time Grand Slam champion controlled the rallies overwhelmingly, often forcing Joint to scramble back and forth to keep the rally alive.

Swiatek won six games in a row, winning the first set by a breadstick in 26 minutes and had gathered chants of ‘Iga’ from her Polish supporters early in the match. Her set point, a cross-court forehand winner that raced past an outstretched Joint, summed up the match best.

In the second, Swiatek and Joint traded possessions, with the latter receiving some encouragement from the home crowd. Likewise, Swiatek regained the lead with a break and didn’t look back, en route to the double breadstick victory.