Hurkacz surges back to edge Poland toward United Cup final
Hubert Hurkacz’s straight-set tiebreak win over Taylor Fritz in Sydney’s heat propels Poland to the brink, leaving Iga Swiatek to face Coco Gauff in a decider that crackles with potential.
Under the relentless Sydney sun inside Ken Rosewall Arena, Hubert Hurkacz stepped onto the court with the quiet weight of seven months away, his knee surgery a shadow over a game rebuilt in silence. The Polish server, once a top-6 mainstay, met Taylor Fritz in a United Cup semi-final that demanded more than power—it called for precision on a surface that rewarded the bold. Hurkacz delivered with a 7-6(1), 7-6(2) victory in 95 minutes, his massive serves turning potential breaks into holds, putting Poland one win from the final.
Fritz arrived with a 4-2 head-to-head lead, including two United Cup triumphs that fueled his early aggression, but the fast hard court amplified Hurkacz’s adjustments. The American pushed to 5-4 in the first set, earning two break points that doubled as set points, yet Hurkacz’s aces down-the-line erased them, his backhand passing shot igniting the tiebreak surge. Crowd energy built with each hold, the arena’s intimacy turning Polish chants into a rhythmic pulse that drowned Fritz’s baseline counters.
“Obviously playing Taylor is such a big challenge and it’s a very difficult match, especially this court, it’s quite fast. He’s serving very powerfully. Also, his forehand is really big, so if you leave anything short, he’s going to come after it,” Hurkacz told ATP No. 1 Club Jim Courier. “I felt like I played actually quite solid myself. I tried to be more aggressive. Actually during my time off I was watching some of my past matches and I was listening to your commentary. It’s a good help for players, as well!”
Rebuilding serve anchors his return
Hurkacz’s layoff since June 2025 had stripped away match rhythm, leaving uncertainty as he entered the mixed-teams event, but his work off-court transformed doubt into dominance. He has now toppled Alexander Zverev, Tallon Griekspoor, and Fritz—all in straight sets—his one-two patterns of serve followed by inside-out forehands exploiting the court’s skid. Saving those two break points not only preserved the set but shifted momentum, his heavy topspin crosscourts forcing Fritz into defensive slices that floated short for punishment.
The 28-year-old’s tactical evolution shone in the tiebreaks, where early backhand passes gave him 3-0 leads, his serve averages outpacing the American’s by margins drilled in rehab. Fritz’s powerful forehand loomed as a threat, yet Hurkacz varied placements—kicking high to the body on seconds to jam returns—neutralizing the 1–2 combos that had defined their prior clashes. As the heat thickened, Hurkacz’s composure held, his unforced errors minimal against an opponent who couldn’t convert his eight aces into breaks.
“Definitely pleasantly surprised in a way because I haven’t played in such a long time. In seven months, [this is] my first tournament. So coming back from such a long period the first time in my life, you never know what to expect,” Hurkacz said. “On the other hand, I was putting so much work outside of the court so, I give myself time to get back to my level, to an even better level and maybe a little bit less expectations coming into this week helped as well.”
Swiatek faces Gauff in decider heat
With Poland leading 1-0 in the tie, World No. 2 Iga Swiatek steps up against World No. 4 Coco Gauff, a blockbuster that blends Swiatek’s baseline precision with Gauff’s athletic retrieval on the same speedy deck. The court favors Swiatek’s all-court game, her topspin loops potentially overwhelming Gauff’s improved backhand, but any lapse could invite the American’s down-the-line counters. National stakes amplify the pressure, Poland’s United Cup run carrying echoes of their Billie Jean King Cup ambitions into this semi-final push.
The winner advances to Sunday’s final against Switzerland, guided by playing captain Stan Wawrinka and Belinda Bencic, where team synergy will test depth under the arena’s glare. Hurkacz’s resilience sets a tone, his mental recalibration—low expectations fueling quiet fire—offering a blueprint for Swiatek amid the crowd’s building roar. As rallies promise to stretch long in the warmth, Gauff’s speed could force errors, but Swiatek’s focus might seal a Polish path to glory, the event’s quick hard courts continuing to reward those who dictate tempo.
Momentum builds on Sydney’s fast courts
The United Cup 2026‘s Sydney-Perth swing has exposed players to surfaces that skid balls low, favoring big servers like Hurkacz while challenging deeper groundstrokes, a dynamic Fritz couldn’t fully harness. His frustration mounted as Hurkacz’s slice serves stretched returns wide, the Pole’s net approaches—precise after inside-in forehands—pinning the American back in key moments. This victory recalibrates Hurkacz’s trajectory, his ATP points haul vaulting him toward top-10 contention post-injury.
Poland’s campaign thrives on this balance: Hurkacz’s power complementing Swiatek’s consistency in the best-of-three format, where one edge cascades into control. The arena’s atmosphere thickens with anticipation, every point in the women’s match carrying the freight of final dreams. As Switzerland waits, Hurkacz’s surge hints at a Polish final berth, his comeback a reminder that rebuilt games often strike hardest on stages like this.
