By winning the City Final on Wednesday evening in Sydney with a neat 4-1 rating over Great Britain, the Americans quickly made the brief commute back to their resorts, anticipating an off day. Meanwhile, in Brisbane and also Perth, 4 countries fought to join them in Friday’s United Cup semi-finals in Sydney.
In completion, Poland beat Italy and also Greece overthrew Croatia– with both connections chosen by combined increases including 4 of the globe’s finest songs gamers. Italy progressed thanks to the nation’s exceptional percent of collections gained Croatia, and also will join them. Poland and also Italy made their means 500-plus miles down the eastern shore of Australia from Brisbane, while Greece needed to browse greater than 2,000 miles from Perth, positioned on the west shore.
The matches and also general document after 3 connections: UNITED STATE (13-2) vs. Poland (10-5) and also Greece (11-4) vs. Italy (10-5).
Here’s a better take a look at both semi-finals:
United States vs. Poland
The numbers state Poland has a 6-3 head-to-head benefit in the 4 songs matches, however 4 of those success come from Iga Swiatek over Jessica Pegula.
All 4 success came in 2015 in large areas– the Miami semi-finals, Roland Garros quarter-finals, United States Open quarter-finals and also San Diego’s semi-finals. Only San Diego went 3 collections. In regards to position, this is the course of all the semi-final suits,World No 1 Swiatek versus the third-ranked Pegula.
Two of the various other songs matches– Hubert Hurkacz-Taylor Fritz and also Magda Linette-Madison Keys– are deadlocked at 1-all. The distinction for the United States can be Frances Tiafoe, that is a consolidated 6-0 in songs and also combined increases. Tiafoe is placedNo 19, 241 areas more than Poland’s Daniel Michalski, that has actually gone 0-3 in songs play.
If the groups divided the 4 songs matches, it can boil down to a hit combined increases conflict in between Swiatek and also Hurkacz and also Fritz and also Pegula (2-0). The Polish duo secured their triumph over Italy to progress to the semi-finals.
“It was Iga,” Hurkacz stated. “She was just playing really amazing, and she was returning Lorenzo [Musetti]’s serve really powerful, and that was helping a lot to put some pressure on the net. There wasn’t a lot of tactics there.”
Added Swiatek: “I don’t consider myself a leader. I’m still kind of getting used to it, but I also got used to the pressure, especially last year. I’m trying to cut it off on my matches to just focus on my game, and it’s going pretty well. Hopefully I’m going to be able to do that on my next matches.”
Friday,Jan 6
Ken Rosewall Arena
[2] Iga Swiatek (POL) vs [3] Jessica Pegula (United States), 1 p.m. (Head to head: Swiatek, 4-1)
[2] Daniel Michalski (POL) vs [3] Frances Tiafoe (United States), to comply with (Head to head: 0-0)
Saturday,Jan 7
Ken Rosewall Arena
[2] Hubert Hurkacz (POL) vs [3] Taylor Fritz (United States), 10 a.m. (Head to head: 1-1)
[2] Magda Linette (POL) vs [3] Madison Keys (United States), to comply with (Head to head: 1-1)
Mixed increases suit: Teams TBD
Greece vs. Italy
Once, once again the head-to-head documents below can be misleading.
Overall, Greece holds a 3-1 benefit in the groups’ neck and neck songs documents. Heading right into the semi-finals,World No 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas leads No.16 Matteo Berrettini 2-0. Tsitsipas dominated at the 2019 Australian Open and also, 2 years later on, in Rome.
Perhaps a lot more pertinent is Tsitsipas’ 6-0 document in songs and also combined increases (with Maria Sakkari). That equates to Sakkari and also Tiafoe for the very best mark amongst all continuing to be gamers.
Elsewhere, you can make a situation forItaly Martina Trevisan holds a 1-0 side over Sakkari, a three-set suit at Roland Garros in 2020. That got on the red clay in Paris, a surface area that is much friendlier to Trevisan’s video game. A rapid tough court in Sydney could be one more issue.
Similarly, Despina Papamichail has a 1-0 document versus Lucia Bronzetti– however that came 5 years back at an ITF $15,000 occasion. And after that there is the difference in between the positions of Lorenzo Musetti (No 23) and also his challenger, Michail Pervolarakis (No 506).
Greek captain Petros Tsitsipas was asked if he would certainly enable a tiny event after his top-seeded group secured Croatia to progress to the semi-finals.
“No celebrations until we lift the trophy,” he stated.
Italian Captain Vincenzo Santopadre really did not yet recognize the destiny of his group when he fulfilled journalism adhering to the loss to Poland.
“We just have to wait,” he stated. “I say what I said before, we have to be happy and continue — if there is the chance to continue, it would be really nice because I’m sure that if it happens, we will enjoy again.”
Friday,Jan 6
Ken Rosewall Arena
[1] Maria Sakkari (GRE) vs. [5] Martina Trevisan (ITA), 7 p.m. (Head to head: Trevisan, 1-0)
[1] Michail Pervolarakis (GRE) vs [5] Lorenzo Musetti (ITA), to comply with (Head to head: 0-0)
Saturday,Jan 7
Ken Rosewall Arena
[1] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) vs [5] Matteo Berrettini (ITA), 5 p.m. (Head to head: Tsitsipas, 2-0)
[1] Despina Papamichail (GRE) vs [5] Lucia Bronzetti (ITA), to comply with (Head to head: Papamichail, 1-0)
Mixed increases suit: Teams TBD
