The opening day of the United Cup saw two countries complete their first round of group matches in Perth with 3-0 clean sweeps to lay down the gauntlet to their remaining respective opponents in Groups A and E.
It was fun, I’ve seen Coco play so many times and I’m such a big fan. It’s just fun to share a game like that with these guys, some people I look up to, and it’s good to just go out there and enjoy playing hard. Christian Harrison
Argentina and Greece looked in good form with those performances, with the South Americans returning with some confidence to take on the defending champions USA on Saturday evening, and thanks to Sebastian Baez, Team Argentina surprised their higher-rated opponents, who upset the North Americans by claiming the opening rubber with a stellar singles performance from the world number 45 over world number 6 Taylor Fritz.
(Photo by Janelle St Pierre/Getty Images)
The 4-6 7-5 6-4 victory was Baez’s first victory over Fritz in six meetings and for much of the early match that result looked like a bull’s-eye after dropping the first set, but he recovered from a break in the second set to save a break point when he served for the match in the decider and secured victory with a crips volley after two hours and 33 minutes of play.
“I’m so happy right now,” Baez said on court. “We have been looking for this feeling for years and I am happy to give this point to Argentina. Thank you to the crowd. I felt very comfortable today.”
Enter Coco Gauff, who single-handedly saved the day for the 2025 champions as she took 57 minutes to brush aside Solana Sierra 6-1 6-1 and then teamed up with Christian Harrison (who replaced the originally nominated Fritz) for the decisive mixed doubles match.
“I feel like I can play even better as well, which is even more exciting,” Gauff said on court after her singles victory. “It’s always difficult going into the first game of the season, especially against an opponent like them and someone who played yesterday. I’m very happy with the way I’m dealing with all those emotions.”
“I definitely think there are things I can do better by being hyper-critical, but it’s a clear win. I think as the season goes on, I feel like those things will sink in even more.”
In the mixed, the pair controlled the match from the baseline and proved sharper at the net, passing Maria Lourdes Carle and Guido Andreozzi to complete the victory in 63 minutes, 6-4 6-1 and the draw 2-1.
“It was fun, I’ve seen Coco play so many times and I’m such a big fan,” said Harrison, who was representing his country for the first time. “It’s just fun to share a game like that with these guys, some people I look up to, and it’s good to just go out there and enjoy playing hard.”
The next tie for the Americans is Spain, putting them in a strong position to win Group A.
Stan Wawrinka proved too strong for his French opponent
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Earlier on Saturday, Switzerland took on France in the first of the Group C matches, with the Stan Wawrinka clash with Arthur Rinderknech providing plenty of drama over the three hours and eighteen minutes it took to complete.
With his 5-7 7-6(5) 7-6(5) win, Wawrinka put Switzerland into an unassailable 2-0 lead after Belinda Bencic’s 6-2 6-4 victory over Leolia Jeanjean.
Belinda Bencic gave the Swiss the start they needed
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
“The last match was difficult with the Australian sun,” Bencic said after her match. “I think this is really one of the few places – to play in Australia – where you end up in this situation. So I should have done better somehow. So I’m going to find some solutions next time.”
The 40-year-old showed great grit and patience as he recovered from dropping a tight first set to force the tiebreak in the second and win.
“Today was a tough battle, but I’m very happy that I could make it 2-0,” said after his singles match Wawrinka, who had announced last month that 2026 would be his last season as a professional player.
The draw of Saturday’s session concluded with the mixed doubles, in which Bencic and Jakub Paul Tiantsoa defeated Rakotomanga Rajaonah and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-2 5-7 10-12.
Team GB will be in action for the first time in Group E on Sunday, playing their second match against Japan after their defeat to Greece on Friday.
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