The 2024 United Cup is taking place this week in Australia, with fascinating matches taking place in Perth and Sydney. Group C is now complete at RAC Arena in west Australia, with the Australians getting by the United States and Great Britain to take the group.
Australia, Great Britain and the United States all finished with a record of one win and one loss, and all beat each other in the respective ties. Great Britain beat Australia two matches to one on December 29, the United States beat Great Britain 2-1 on New Year’s Eve, and Australia beat the United States 2-1 on New Year’s Day. Australia advances because they won seven of 13 possible sets, the United States won seven of 14 sets, and Great Britain won seven of 15 sets.
The most significant Australian success to date has been from the mixed doubles team of Storm Hunter of Rockhampton, and Matthew Ebden of Perth. Hunter and Ebden won their first match against Great Britain’s Kate Boulter and Neal Skupski 6-3, 7-6, and then beat the American duo of Jessica Pegula and Rajeev Ram, rather easily, 6-3, 6-1.
Australia also got by the United States because of a straight set win by Alex de Minaur of Sydney over American Taylor Fritz, 6-4, 6-2. De Minaur is currently ranked 12th in the world, and Fritz is 11th. De Minaur is now 5-3 all-time against Fritz. De Minaur’s four previous wins against Fritz have come in the round robin of the 2018 ATP Next Gen Finals in Milan, Italy (4-3, 4-1, 4-2), the 2019 Atlanta Final (6-3, 7-6), the second round of the 2019 Swiss Indoor (6-3, 6-3), and the third round of the 2023 National Bank Open in Toronto (7-6, 4-6, 6-1).
Australia will play Serbia in the quarterfinals on Wednesday in Perth. Team Serbia is led by Novak Djokovic.
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