Poland, the top seed in the United Cup, is off to a good start, as Hurkacz and Swiatek have shined in the match.
On Saturday night, January 6, in Perth, Hubert Hurkacz gave his country an unbeatable 2-0 lead against Brazil after defeating Thiago Seyboth Wild 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-3 in a match that lasted two hours and twenty-four minutes.
In her opening match of the 2024 season, Iga Swiatek defeated Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-2, 6-2, to put Poland ahead 1-0.
Hurkacz and Swiatek dynamic performance
After winning their singles matches, Hurkacz and Swiatek came back to the court to defeat Haddad Maia and Marcelo Melo 6-4, 6-3 in the mixed doubles match, ensuring a 3-0 clean sweep for Poland in Group A.
Hurkacz won 75% (39/52) of his first-serve points in the match, but he was not at his most fluid when serving against Seyboth Wild. But at crucial times, World No. 9 found strong depth on the return, winning five serve breaks to win.
Hurkacz, who finished first in Shanghai and Marseille in 2023, had a 26-6 record against non-Top 50 players in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings the previous year. The goal for him this season will be to avoid defeat when he takes on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Monday.
World No. 1 Swiatek defeated World No. 11 Haddad Maia to open her 2024 season on a winning note.
The French Open semifinal from the previous year was rematched on Saturday and two players with lengthy winning streaks faced off. Haddad Maia and Swiatek both had winning seasons as their 2023 campaigns came to an end.
Swiatek finished the year ranked 1 after winning the China Open and WTA Finals in a row. After winning Day 1 of the United Cup against Sara Sorribes Tormo, Haddad Maia extended her winning streak to seven events at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai.
Haddad Maia held serve to begin the match, and two games later, Swiatek finished the set with her unwavering baseline pressure, having won five straight games. Hurkacz and Swiatek have gained public attention.
Haddad Maia’s first three break points of the match came as a result of her increased aggression in the second set. But Swiatek opened up a 4-1 lead by dismissing them all with a precise serve.
At 4-2, the Brazilian eventually broke the tie with a well-timed backhand winner. After an hour and eighteen minutes, Swiatek rallied by winning eight of the following ten points to complete the victory.
Afterward, Swiatek and Hurkacz combined to defeat Haddad Maia and Marcelo Melo 6-4, 6-3 in the mixed doubles to secure a Polish clean sweep in Perth. Poland advanced to the 2023 United Cup semifinals, and the duo is currently 3-0 in doubles matches played together.
All eyes are on the performances of Hurkacz and Swiatek in the upcoming match. The winner of Monday’s match between Spain and Poland will move on to the quarterfinals.
