Taylor Fritz faces resurgent Stefanos Tsitsipas as United Cup QFs kick off in Perth | ATP tour | Tennis

United Cup

Fritz faces the resurgent Tsitsipas as the United Cup QFs kick off in Perth

The US vs. Greece precedes Switzerland vs. Argentina
January 6, 2026

The United States will continue their quest for dynasty status at Wednesday’s United Cup in Perth, reaching the quarter-finals for the third time in four years.

Two-time champion USA, led by Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz, will face a resurgent Greece at 10am local time, before Switzerland takes on top-seeded runners-up Argentina in the second quarter-final at 5pm.

Here we go! The quarterfinalists for Perth have been announced 🔒

Day session: USA vs Greece
Night session: Switzerland vs Argentina

Who’s going on to Sydney? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/UyWPYw66wB

— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) January 6, 2026

USA vs Greece [10 a.m.]
Gauff and Fritz topped Group A after being pushed twice to the deciding mixed-doubles rubbers, repeatedly leaning on each other under pressure. Against Argentina, Gauff was forced into double duty after Fritz fell to Sebastian Baez in a grueling two-and-a-half-hour defeat, but he responded by saving a match point to beat Jaume Munar on their way to their place in the quarter-finals.

Sakkari and Tsitsipas, both former world number 3s, who look revitalized after challenging 2025 seasons, now pose a stern test. They each went 2-0 in singles in Group E, with Tsitsipas holding a 3-2 Lexus ATP Head2Head advantage over Fritz despite the American winning the past two meetings, including at the 2024 Australian Open. While Fritz has remained a fixture in the Top 10, Tsitsipas slipped outside the Top 20 for the first time since 2018 last year as he battled a back injury and looked to shape.

The signs are that Tsitsipas has entered 2026 recharged after speaking of his ambition to return to a Grand Slam final and back it up on court in Perth. Sakkari also impressed by beating Naomi Osaka in straight sets before eventually defeating Emma Raducanu on her fifth attempt.

“She really showed incredible tennis today, she made a lot of improvements in her game,” Tsitsipas said of Sakkari after her victory over Raducanu. “The shots are there. She has those shots. How can we use them to maximize them? She actually did that with brave tennis and by going for the kill.”

Gauff, a two-time major champion, will look to bounce back from her loss to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, although the US can rely on her again when the tie comes down to mixed doubles after winning both decisive rubbers alongside Christian Harrison.

Switzerland vs Argentina [5 p.m.]
Stan Wawrinka continues to add intrigue to his farewell United Cup campaign, with the 40-year-old already spending six hours on the court in two marathon singles matches. He secured a thrilling final-set tiebreak victory over Arthur Rinderknech before falling in another to Flavio Cobolli.

Belinda Bencic was the Swiss lynchpin. She won both her singles matches and, together with Jakub Paul, achieved a decisive victory in the mixed doubles over Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. She opens against Solana Sierra as Switzerland look to extend their run against an Argentine team who have already exceeded expectations in Perth.

“We are living in Belinda’s world again,” Wawrinka said after Switzerland’s draw against Italy. “She shows us why we are here again. Overall I am quite happy with my level. Of course I would have liked to win it. But they got the job done. We are happy as a team. That is the most important thing.”

Wawrinka now faces Baez, with the three-time major champion hoping to deliver another standout performance. His stamina was tested early, but his ability to rise in big moments has remained a hallmark of the first tournament of his final season on Tour.