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Poland lose to US in United Cup final

Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Image
Iga Świątek (L) and Hubert Hurkacz during the trophy ceremony. Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Image
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Poland have been defeated 2-0 by the United States in the United Cup final in Sydney, Australia.

Coco Gauff edged out Iga Świątek (6-4, 6-4) on Sunday and Taylor Fritz narrowly overcame Hubert Hurkacz (6-4, 5-7, 7-6(4)) in the singles. 


It was the second year in a row that the Poles suffered heartbreak in the final, after losing out to Germany last year. 


Gauff, the world No. 3, who beat Świątek en route to the WTA Finals title last season, squandered a 2-0 lead in the first set but battled back from there to gain the upper hand in the match as her opponent counted the costs of 19 unforced errors. 


In another high-octane set that followed, Gauff recovered a break to level at 4-4 and went on to secure a win that ensured she ended her singles campaign at the tournament unbeaten. 


The decisive moment in the men’s singles, with the match locked at one set apiece, saw Fritz raise his level at 3-3 in the tiebreak of the decider to see off Hurkacz and spark huge celebrations. 

“Congratulations to Poland on a great week,” said Fritz, addressing a dejected Polish side that finished runners-up at the tournament for a second successive year.

“They're an incredibly tough team and the margins were very small. I feel that it could have gone either way.”

Despite the obvious disappointment, the Polish team can be proud of a sterling effort that just saw them fall short at the last.

“I want to congratulate my team. You did an incredible job. We will try again next year,” said team captain Mateusz Terczyński. The players also thanked the strong contingent of Polish supporters.

“It was a great pleasure to play here. We felt a lot of support, for which I am very grateful. I also want to thank my team. As you saw, our bench created an incredible atmosphere, and in a competition as grueling as this, it was your support that made this tournament so special. It adds a lot of energy,” said Świątek.

As for the U.S., it was the second time they won the mixed-team tournament title in three years. They were the top seeds in the $10 million event.

The Americans also won the 2023 title in the inaugural edition of the tournament, which takes place across December and January. The international hard court tennis competition features teams from 18 countries, competing in singles and mixed doubles.

The United Cup serves as a tune-up event for the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open. Świątek and Hurkacz will remain in the country as the action begins on January 12.
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