Australia defeats Nice Britain 2-1 within the United Cup’s ultimate spherical robin levels however falls wanting a quarterfinal look.
Sydney, Australia , 1 January 2025 | AAP
Nice Britain has eradicated Australia from the United Cup, however Katie Boulter could have blended emotions about twisting the knife for the victors.
Alex de Minaur’s fiancee starred for Group GB, overcoming Olivia Gadecki 6-2 6-1 within the opening ladies’s singles match to depart Australia on the brink at Ken Rosewall Area.
Australia had entered Wednesday evening’s tie needing to win 3-0 to high Group F and safe a path to the quarterfinals.
As a substitute Group GB robotically superior following Boulter’s one-sided victory.
A 2-1 triumph might nonetheless have been sufficient for the event hosts to progress as the perfect runners-up out of Sydney, however provided that Australia dropped a complete of not more than seven video games within the males’s singles and blended doubles.
Gadecki and De Minaur shut out the win for Group Australia within the deciding blended doubles 6-3 7-6(3) 🇦🇺
Falling wanting progressing by the narrowest of margins, the duo nonetheless made positive it was an evening to recollect in Sydney!
Last group standings 👉 https://t.co/iKc9wGWJqp pic.twitter.com/o062LKpf6O
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) January 1, 2025
De Minaur lived as much as his finish of the discount by matching Boulter’s successful 6-2 6-1 scoreline in opposition to world No.125 Billy Harris, scrapping for each single level like his life trusted it.
De Minaur conceded just one recreation from 2-2 within the opening set to, as he put it, give Australia a “preventing likelihood”.
The world No.9 confirmed no signal of the hip harm that dogged his second half of 2024, as evident with one miraculous successful lob after displaying extraordinary foot pace to even attain a Harris drop store early within the second set.
“This was the outdated me. I’ve obtained my legs again, everyone. I’m again,” he informed the Sydney crowd.
Preserve looking ahead to the perfect factor you’ve seen all 12 months 😉 👟 @alexdeminaur | @UnitedCupTennis pic.twitter.com/y6k8tuc4ZR
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 1, 2025
De Minaur’s spirited show left Australia needing to win the deciding blended doubles with out dropping any greater than 4 video games to edge out Czechia for a last-eight spot on the season-opening occasion.
Boulter had featured in Nice Britain’s blended doubles win over Argentina on Monday however, per week after asserting her Christmas-time engagement to de Minaur, the world No.24 opted out this time round.
“I really feel like I’ve really misplaced plenty of sleep not too long ago over the considered taking part in my fiancee in doubles,” she stated after her singles romp.
“So I’m so drained and simply very comfortable to get by this rubber. I’m not going to lie.”
Whereas Boulter rested up, De Minaur fortunately answered captain Lleyton Hewitt’s name to step up after Paris Olympics gold medallist Matt Ebden and Ellen Perez surprisingly misplaced to Argentinian pair Maria Lourdes Carle and Tomas Etcheverry on Saturday.
Alas, after taking the primary set 6-3 in opposition to Olivia Nicholls and Charles Broom, De Minaur and Gadecki have been unable to disclaim their opponents multiple recreation as required to advance.
They needed to accept a 6-3 7-6(3) win to seal the tie, if not a quarterfinals spot.
Perversely, it will have been in Britain and Boulter’s greatest pursuits if Australia progressed as the perfect runners-up from Sydney as an alternative of Czechia.
Below the event guidelines, two groups can’t play one another two days in a row.
So as a result of Czechia performed Poland – and misplaced 2-1 – on Wednesday, they may play Italy on Friday evening as an alternative of Nice Britain getting a day’s relaxation as group winners.
Now Boulter should again up and face Poland’s world No.2 Iga Swiatek on Thursday evening.
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