Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz swept the United Cup final with a pair of singles victories to hand the United States a second trophy at the 18-nation mixed-team event on Sunday.

The 2-0 success over Poland in the Sydney final duplicated a trophy won by the country in 2023.  The Poles finished runner-up for a second straight year after coming up short last January against Germany.

Gauff led the way on the concluding chapter of the 10-day event staged in Perth with the conclusion in Sydney.

The former US Open winner defeated Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-4 with Poland’s five-time Grand Slam winner taking treatment late in the match on her right thigh.

“This was my first United Cup and I had so much fun,” Gauff, winner of the recent WTA Finals in Saudi said.. “There was a lot of pressure but the team made it all incredibly fun.”

She added: “I have the belief that I’m one of the best players in the world and when I play good tennis I’m hard to beat.

“Today I played some great tennis. I’m glad I was able to get a point for Team USA. It was tough today, I’m not gonna lie.”

With the first point assured, world No. 4 Fritz came out to battle Hubert Hurkacz, who missed the autumn season with injury.

US Open and ATP Finals finalist Fritz fretted as the Pole went to the team bench for a change of shoes after one of his broke and took the questionable opportunity to also change his wet sock.

The American shook off his discontent , landing a winner to the empty court as he wrong-footed the Pole to seal the trophy 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (4).

.”Poland is an incredibly tough team and it could have gone either way,’ Fritz said of his result.

“The margins were very small. We had great team vibes all week.”

The pair of big hitters combined for 30 aces and three break points

Main photo:- Team USA with United Cup in Sydney – by WTATennis.com

Alexander Zverev pulled out of singles on New Year’s Day singles at the United Cup, with the German’s precautionary decision costing the defending champion nation a possible semi-final place.

Opponent Kazakhstan took full advantage, with Alexander Shevchenko fighting through heat illness to defeat German sub Daniel Masur 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-2 to clinch the tie after Elena Rybakina had crushed Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-1.

The untouchable 2-0 scoreline sends the Kazaks to Sydney for a weekend semi-final at the 18-nation mixed-teams event which also staged group rounds in Perth on the western side of the continent.

Shevchenko needed a medical timeout after losing the second set but starting the second with a break of Masur in a match played in searing summer heat.

The pause gave psychological as well as physical relief, with the 78th-ranked Kazakh never again threatened as he clinched the tie.

“I’m proud of myself and our team, they pushed me so hard to win this match,” Shevchenko said. “After (losing) the first set, I knew I had to shorten the rallies and play aggressively, tee off on the ball..

“I just kept pushing after the first set and I’m really happy about it.”

Shevchenko said the heat got to him at the start: “I was struggling in this (37 C) heat, it was so rough. I had a headache and my head was spinning.. But I wanted to win this one.”

Katie Boulter kept Britain alive at the United Cup on Monday, winning her singles rubber and then doubling up to lead the way to victory over Argentina with mixed doubles success.

The WTA No. 24 has become the mainstay of the British effort at the 18-nation mixed team event being contested in Sydney and Perth.

She began with a 6-2, 6-3 win over 100th-ranked Nadia Podoroska, and stepped into the breach in the doubles, teaming with Charles Broom to clinch the tie-winning point by defeating Maria Lourdes Carle and Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6 (4), 7-5.

Untested Billy Harris, a replacement for injured Jack Draper, lost the men’s singles to Tomas Etcheverry 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

But the tie was all about boulter, recently engaged to Australian No. 1 Alex de Minaur, with that pair set to face off in mixed on opposite sides of the net later this week.

“I don’t know about having a match against him, I think that’s going to be terrible, and a bit of a popcorn match,” Boulter said. “But yeah, let’s hope we don’t reach there and we win before.”

But she added: “I’m very, very pleased with today,” Boulter said. “Last year I played so well in singles and didn’t get any mixed doubles rubbers, so I really wanted this one so badly.
“I’m so glad we came out. I feel like we both played so great together considering it’s our first time. But I’m just thrilled to get the win.”

Boulter won her singles with three breaks of serve and was pleased with her season start.

“It’s never easy to come out in the first match of the year, especially against someone who’s going to make so many balls and make you work so hard.

“I knew I was going to have to get sharp really quickly, and I’m glad I got through the line today and played some really good stuff as well.”