The United Cup’s opening day kicked off on December 27th, ushering in its third year as part of Australia’s tennis season. Over the upcoming weeks, a host of top-ranked players will compete, including American stars Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz, along with women’s World No. 1, Iga Swiatek.
The competition spans various Australian cities for 11 days, culminating just ahead of the Australian Open, the season’s first Grand Slam. This tournament innovatively features a mixed-gender team format, a pioneering approach in major tennis events.
A total of 18 nations have earned their spots in the tournament, arranged into six groups of three:
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | Poland | Kazakhstan | Italy | China | Great Britain |
| Canada | Czech Rep | Spain | France | Brazil | Australia |
| Croatia | Norway | Greece | Switzerland | Germany | Argentina |
The initial week will see teams compete in a round robin format within their groups. Matches for one group in each city will take place during morning sessions, while the other group will have their matches in the evening sessions.
Here’s a recap of the events from Day 1 and their implications for the rest of the tournament.
Gao & Zhang Dominate as China Triumphs Over Brazil 3-0
Gao Xinyu mounted a comeback from a set down to overcome Beatriz Haddad Maia 5-7, 6-4, 7-5, putting China ahead 1-0 against Brazil in the opening series of Group E. Following her, Zhang Zhizhen delivered a nearly impeccable performance, defeating Thiago Monteiro 6-3, 6-0 and securing the win for China. The concluding mixed doubles match was also claimed by China, resulting in a 3-0 series sweep.
Gao endured a grueling three-hour, 22-minute battle, facing physical challenges along the way. She took a medical time-out during the second set but continued with a heavily bandaged left thigh. Despite showing visible discomfort, the 27-year-old fought valiantly to secure the victory. Her challenger, Haddad Maia, struggled with cramps while leading 4-3 in the third set, forcing her to use underarm serves and subsequently face two service breaks.
On the other hand, Zhang, ranked No. 45 in the ATP Rankings, swiftly dispatched his Brazilian opponent in just 54 minutes. Displaying dominance on his serve, Zhang barely allowed Monteiro any opening to contest the match.
China’s next challenge will be against Germany on the 29th of December, while Brazil will play the Germans a day earlier, aiming for their first win.
Kazakhstan Upsets Spain with a 2-1 Victory
Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina led Kazakhstan to a significant opening-day triumph over Spain at the United Cup in Perth on Friday.
The series began with a strong performance from Spain, as Alexander Shevchenko was outplayed by Pablo Carreño Busta, who won decisively in straight sets 6-2, 6-1.
Fortunately for Kazakhstan, they had a secret weapon in Rybakina.First, she brought her nation back to an even standing with a 6-2, 6-3 victory against Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the day’s second match. Following that, she teamed up with Shevchenko to secure the decisive mixed doubles match, defeating Pablo Carreno Busta and Yvonne Cavalle-Reimers 7-6(4), 6-7(2), 10-7.
If Kazakhstan manages to triumph over Greece in their upcoming series on Sunday, they will secure their spot in the next round. Meanwhile, Spain must deliver a strong performance against Greece tomorrow to keep their hopes alive of advancing to the knockout stage.
