Coco Gauff beat Iga Swiatek to inspire Team USA on Sunday before Taylor Fritz sealed the United Cup title with victory over Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in Sydney.
Gauff opened with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Swiatek in 1 hour 51 minutes of hard-hitting tennis to fire a warning shot ahead of the Australian Open.
Serving-heavy Fritz then battled past Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7/4) to spark wild celebrations as the Americans won the mixed team cup for the second time in three years after winning the first edition. event in 2023.
For Poland, it meant falling at the final hurdle again after losing to Germany 12 months ago.
Gauff opened the proceedings with a second straight victory over Swiatek after beating the former world number one at the WTA Finals in Riyadh en route to the title.
Gauff had won her previous six singles and doubles matches this week and continued her streak when Swiatek double-faulted on match point at 4-5, 30-40 in the second set.
“I think I’m convinced that I’m one of the best players in the world, and when I play good tennis, it’s hard for me to be beaten,” said Gauff, who won the player’s award of the tournament.
– ‘Difficult today’ –
The 20-year-old will compete in the first Grand Slam of the year next Sunday, undefeated in singles since losing to world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-final in Wuhan in October, and brimming with confidence.
“Today I think I played good tennis and I’m happy to have scored a point,” she said. “It was tough today. I’m not going to lie.”
Gauff’s victory left the United States one victory away from winning the title for the second time, and Fritz held on after scoring a tiebreak in the third set to seal a tense encounter.
“It’s been a great week,” Fritz said.
“They are an incredibly tough team and the margins are very small,” he added after a match dominated by service, with 30 aces and only three break points.
“I feel like it always could have gone either way. I just want to say thank you to my whole team.”
Earlier, Swiatek took a medical timeout at 5-4 in the second set for putting straps on her stubborn left thigh, which bothered her all week in Sydney.
After losing to Gauff, Swiatek left the field in tears, walking gingerly, but returned laughing and joking during the trophy presentation.
The red-hot Gauff, who has not lost a set in five singles matches, goes into the Australian Open as world number three.
She had United Cup singles victories over Leylah Fernandez, Donna Vekic, Zhang Shuai, Karolina Muchova and Swiatek.
Fritz, who sits fourth in the career rankings, lost his United Cup opener to Felix Auger-Aliassime but then reeled off four straight victories.
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