Hosts Australia advanced to the quarterfinals of the United Cup with a 2-1 victory over defending champion United States. (More Tennis News)
Matthew Ebden and Storm Hunter combined effectively in the decisive mixed doubles match to beat Jessica Pegula and Rajeev Ram 6-3, 6-1 in Perth and ensured that Australia finished top of Group C in the 18-country mixed-teams event with the Americans second.
“This means everything,” Hunter said. “It is a dream come true. Playing in front of the home crowd and playing with Matty, a Perth local, it is a dream come true to win and go into the quarterfinals at home.”
Alex de Minaur had provided Australia with a 1-0 lead by beating Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-2 but Pegula responded by defeating Ajla Tomljanovic 7-6 (6), 6-3 to make it 1-1.
No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek led Poland into the quarterfinals, winning both her singles and doubles matches in Perth while France kept its hopes alive with a thrilling 2-1 win over Germany in Sydney.
Swiatek needed to win her singles match against Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo to keep the tie alive. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina had given Spain a 1-0 lead with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 comeback victory over No. 9-ranked Hubert Hurkacz.
Swiatek beat Sorribes Tormo 6-2, 6-1 to force a mixed doubles decider. Swiatek, a four-time Grand Slam singles champion, and Hurkacz then needed little more than a half-hour to wrap up the tie with a 6-0, 6-0 win to make Poland the first country through to the quarterfinals.
France's Caroline Garcia and Edouard Roger-Vasselin saved a match point in the decisive mixed doubles against Angelique Kerber and Alexander Zverev to win 7-6 (4), 2-6, 12-10.
“Crazy match, crazy end. So happy we got through,” Roger-Vasselin said. “Thanks for the crowd, for the French crowd who stayed that late. I don't know what time it is, but I think it's quite late!”
France can win Group D if they beat Italy on Wednesday.
Garcia had earlier leveled for France at 1-1 when she beat Kerber 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 after Zverev overcame Adrian Mannarino 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to give Germany a perfect start.
Three-time Grand Slam singles finalist Casper Ruud kept Norway's quarterfinal chances alive with victories in the singles and mixed doubles against Croatia in Sydney.
Norway won 2-1 with a 6-2, 3-6, 10-7 victory for Ruud and Ulrikke Eikeri over Donna Vekic and Ivan Dodig in the last match. That leaves Norway (1-1) awaiting the outcome of the last remaining Group F match between Croatia (0-1) and the Netherlands (1-0) on Tuesday.
