In a surprising turn of events, Novak Djokovic struggled with his wrist injury as Australia pulled off a stunning 3-0 win over Serbia in the quarterfinals of the United Cup. The world No. 1, who has been dealing with a problem in his right wrist throughout the tournament, faced difficulties against Alex de Minaur of Australia. De Minaur utilized a strong defense and dominant serving to defeat Djokovic 6-4, 6-4. This defeat marked Djokovic’s first loss in Australia since the 2018 Australian Open quarterfinals.
Australia continued their dominant performance as Ajla Tomljanovic secured a 6-1, 6-1 victory against Natalija Stevanovic, giving Australia an unassailable 2-0 lead. Stevanovic had replaced Olga Danilovic on the Serbian team. Matthew Ebden and Storm Hunter then completed the rout with a 6-3, 6-3 triumph over Dejana Radanovic and Nikola Ćaćić in the mixed doubles. This victory marked Australia’s maiden appearance in the semifinals of the United Cup.
Alex de Minaur expressed his elation over the win against Novak Djokovic, acknowledging the Serbian player’s tremendous competitive spirit and his contributions to the sport. De Minaur found it surreal and amazing to secure the victory in Perth. He also encouraged himself and any opponent facing Djokovic to enjoy the challenge, back themselves, and fight until the end. De Minaur proved that perseverance pays off, as he was able to come out on top against the world No. 1.
In another quarterfinal match, Poland emerged victorious with a 3-0 win over China. Iga Swiatek, the top-ranked Polish player, defeated Zheng Qinwen 6-2, 6-3, giving Poland a 2-0 lead after Hubert Hurkacz’s 6-3, 6-4 victory against Zhang Zhizhen. The Polish pair, Katarzyna Piter and Jan Zieliński, sealed the sweep with a hard-fought 6-3, 5-7, 10-7 win over You Xiaodi and Sun Fajing in the mixed doubles. The Polish team will now travel to Sydney for the semifinals, where they will face either France or Norway.
Caroline Garcia and Adrian Mannarino led France to victory over Italy in their quarterfinal match. Mannarino defeated Lorenzo Sonego in straight sets, while Garcia battled hard to secure a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win over Jasmine Paolini, giving France a 2-0 lead and confirming their top spot in Group D. French pair Elixane Lechemia and Edouard Roger-Vasselin completed the sweep with a straight-sets win in the mixed doubles. The French team is now determined to surpass their previous performance and continue their journey in the United Cup.
In an exciting match, Greece secured a spot in the quarterfinals by defeating Canada. Stefanos Tsitsipas, who missed Greece’s opening match against Chile, returned to defeat Canada’s Steven Diez with a score of 6-2, 6-3, giving his team the initial lead. Maria Sakkari then displayed great resilience as she saved four set points in the first set and made a comeback from 3-1 down in the second set to defeat Leylah Fernandez 7-6 (2), 6-3. Tsitsipas and Despina Papamichail also contributed to Greece’s victory by defeating Stacey Fung and Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-5, 6-4 in the mixed doubles.
The quarterfinals of the United Cup witnessed surprising upsets and impressive performances from the Australian, Polish, French, and Greek teams. Novak Djokovic’s struggle with his wrist injury allowed Australia to secure a remarkable 3-0 win, while Poland showcased their strength by defeating China with the same scoreline. France and Greece also demonstrated their dominance on the court with convincing victories over Italy and Canada, respectively. As the tournament progresses, it will be fascinating to see which team will emerge as the ultimate champion of the United Cup.
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