Match Report | United Cup: Group Stage Concludes, USA Becomes First Semifinalist

On January 7th Beijing time, the group stage of the 2026 United Cup concluded. Following victories by Hurkacz and Swiatek in singles, Poland overcame the Netherlands to claim the last quarterfinal berth and will take on the host nation Australia on Friday night. Returning from a knee injury, Hurkacz showcased strong form in his comeback event, delivering 20 aces without facing a break point, defeating Griekspoor 6-3, 7-6(4).

After the match, Hurkacz said, "Honestly, I wasn’t sure how I would start the new season since I hadn’t played for seven months, so you don’t know what to expect. I felt good in practice, but practice and matches are completely different because of the emotions and the crowd. I’m very surprised and happy with my performance. After such a long time away, I’m excited to be back on court, and it’s given me a new perspective. I think that’s why I was able to perform better and stay calm even during tough moments."

Hurkacz had not competed since June 2025, but in his first event of the new season, he defeated world No. 3 Zverev and Dutch player Griekspoor in straight sets.

Next to play, Swiatek beat Lamens 6-3, 6-2, then teamed up in mixed doubles to defeat Perr and Schuurs 6-3, 3-6, 10-4, completing a 3-0 sweep for Poland. Swiatek had previously struggled against German player Lis but showed improved form in her second singles match versus Lamens.

"I’m glad I found a more consistent approach in the middle of the first set because it was quite close before that," Swiatek said. "I felt more in control of the ball and could give my all. I’m happy we won this group stage just with singles, which gives us good confidence heading into the quarterfinals."

Gauff

The first quarterfinal between the USA and Greece also took place today. In this thrilling encounter, Gauff defeated Sakari 6-3, 6-2 to give the USA the lead. Tsitsipas then beat world No. 9 Fritz 6-4, 7-5, marking the Greek’s first victory over a top-10 player in over 18 months and leveling the tie for Greece.

In the decisive mixed doubles match, Gauff and Harrison faced the in-form Tsitsipas and Sakari duo, ultimately coming back from a set down to win 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 on their third match point, securing the victory for the USA and a semifinal spot, keeping alive their bid for a third United Cup title in four years.

The USA will next travel to Sydney to compete against the winner of the Australia vs. Poland semifinal. Meanwhile, another quarterfinal in the Perth zone will be contested between Switzerland and Argentina today.

Quarterfinal Matchups:

USA vs Greece (USA won)

Australia vs Poland

Switzerland vs Argentina

Belgium vs Czech Republic

(Written and edited by Wang Fei; photos courtesy of Visual China)