Tag: Tie

United Cup

De Minaur levels tie, but Great Britain seals Group F in Sydney

Australia’s qualification hopes still alive

January 01, 2025

Alex de Minaur earned a resounding 6-2, 6-1 win against Billy Harris on Wednesday evening to send the Australia-Great Britain tie to a deciding match.

De Minaur thrilled the crowd inside Ken Rosewall Arena, where he won his first ATP Tour title in 2019. The home favourite needed just 77 minutes to defeat the Briton in their first Lexus ATPHead2Head meeting.

“No other place I would rather be than right here, right now with you guys,” De Minaur told the fans in his on-court comments.

The No. 9 player in the PIF ATP Rankings kept Australia’s qualification dreams alive. When De Minaur’s fiancé, Katie Boulter, won her match in straight sets earlier in the evening, she guaranteed Great Britain would win Group F. But the best second-placed country in Sydney is still up for grabs.

Australia’s hopes are still alive. It is down to the home side and Czechia The best second-placed country in Sydney will be decided by sets won percentage and, if necessary, games won percentage, so every game will be critical.

“Having all the [qualifying] scenarios in my head made it a little tough but I’m very happy with the win against a tough opponent,” said De Minaur, who saved all three break points he faced against Harris according to Infosys ATP Stats. “I had to play solid tennis to give us a fighting chance.”

In the crucial mixed doubles, De Minaur and Olivia Gadecki will take on Charles Broom and Olivia Nicholls.

^{Photo: Brett Hemmings/Getty Images}
Boulter delivered an early 1-0 lead over Australia, racing past Gadecki 6-2, 6-1 in the final Group F tie at the United Cup in Sydney. The 24th-ranked Briton’s straight-sets win assured Great Britain will advance to the quarter-finals as the group winner.

“I’ve been trying to avoid all the stats on all this but we were at dinner with Laura Robson last night and she thankfully told me I had to win in straight sets,” Boulter said. “So I was feeling the pressure from last night, so really appreciate that, Laura.”

Boulter dominated Gadecki from the outset, showing superior consistency and depth from the baseline, needing just 70 minutes to secure the victory. She broke Gadecki straight out of the gate and saved the sole break point she faced to cruise through the finish.

“Very happy to start my new year like that,” Boulter said. “I feel like I’ve lost a lot of sleep recently over the thought of playing my fiancé in doubles so I’m so tired. I’m just so happy to get through this rubber, I’m not going to lie.”