United Cup and Brisbane International Tennis Tournaments See Opening Matches and Player Returns

Recent tennis tournament action included the United Cup, a mixed-team event held in Perth and Sydney as a preparatory tournament for the Australian Open, and the Brisbane International. Notable results from the United Cup featured team victories for Australia, the United States, Switzerland, China, Great Britain, Germany, and Canada. The Brisbane International saw Nick Kyrgios compete in both singles and doubles, marking his return to competitive play after injury.

United Cup Overview

The United Cup, a mixed-team tennis event featuring 18 nations, is being held in Perth and Sydney as a preparatory tournament for the Australian Open, scheduled to commence on January 18.

• Switzerland vs. France: Switzerland secured a 3-0 victory against France.
  • Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) defeated Arthur Rinderknech (France) 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5) in a match lasting approximately three and a half hours.
  • Belinda Bencic (Switzerland) defeated Leolia Jeanjean (France) 6-2, 6-4.
  • Switzerland also won the mixed doubles match.
• Japan vs. Great Britain: Great Britain secured an overall 2-1 victory against Japan.
  • Naomi Osaka (Japan) defeated Katie Swan (Great Britain) 7-6 (7/4), 6-1. Great Britain's Emma Raducanu withdrew from her singles match due to a foot injury, though Great Britain captain Tim Henman indicated she might compete later. Osaka commented on her performance, stating, "I’m proud of how I fought. I’d never played here, it was tough."
  • Billy Harris (Great Britain) defeated Shintaro Mochizuki (Japan) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.
  • Great Britain won the mixed doubles match.
• Switzerland vs. Italy: Switzerland advanced to the quarter-finals by defeating Italy 2-1.
  • Belinda Bencic and Jakub Paul (Switzerland) won the deciding mixed doubles match against Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori (Italy) 7-5, 4-6, [10-7]. Bencic commented on the team's performance, stating, "There was great emotion from the team. We were into it with our hearts and it showed."
  • Flavio Cobolli (Italy) defeated Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/4).
  • Belinda Bencic (Switzerland) defeated Jasmine Paolini (Italy) 6-4, 6-3.

• Australia vs. Norway: Australia secured a 2-1 victory over Norway.
  • Casper Ruud (Norway) defeated Alex de Minaur (Australia) 6-3, 6-3. De Minaur attributed his performance to difficulty adjusting to evening conditions, which he stated affected his serve rhythm and power.
  • Storm Hunter (Australia), substituting due to Maya Joint's illness, defeated Malene Helgo (Norway) 6-2, 7-6 (7/3).
  • Hunter then partnered with John-Patrick Smith (Australia) to win the mixed doubles against Ulrikke Eikeri and Viktor Durasovic (Norway) 4-6, 6-1, 10-4.
  • Australia is scheduled to compete against Czechia on Tuesday.
• United States vs. Argentina: The United States defeated Argentina 2-1.
  • Sebastian Baez (Argentina) defeated Taylor Fritz (United States) 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, marking his first victory against Fritz in six encounters. Fritz reported minor ankle discomfort during the match.
  • Coco Gauff (United States) defeated Solana Sierra (Argentina) 6-1, 6-1.
  • Gauff and Christian Harrison (United States) secured the tie by winning the mixed doubles against Maria Lourdes Carle and Guido Andreozzi (Argentina) 6-4, 6-1.
• China vs. Belgium: China secured a 2-1 victory over Belgium. Zhang Zhizhen contributed to China's win.
• Germany vs. Netherlands: Germany achieved a 3-0 victory against the Netherlands.
  • Alexander Zverev (Germany) defeated Tallon Griekspoor (Netherlands) 7-5, 6-0. Zverev commented, "The first set, it was tough to get rhythm. Once I got the chances, I did well and I’m very happy with the win."
  • Eva Lys (Germany) defeated Suzan Lamens (Netherlands) 6-2, 6-2.
• Canada vs. China: Canada defeated China.
  • Victoria Mboko (Canada) defeated Zhu Lin (China) 2-6, 6-2, 6-0.
  • Felix Auger-Aliassime (Canada) overcame Zhang Zhizhen (China) 6-4, 6-4.

Australia is currently competing against Czechia in a group-deciding United Cup tie in Sydney, with a quarter-final spot at stake.

• Men's Singles: Alex de Minaur (Australia), ranked No. 5 on the live ATP rankings, is scheduled to play world No. 18 Jakub Mensik (Czechia). De Minaur's official ranking confirmation is pending multiple wins in the United Cup.
• Women's Singles: Maya Joint (Australia) is facing Barbora Krejcikova (Czechia). Joint lost the opening set of her match 6-4.
• Mixed Doubles: A mixed doubles match is set to feature Australians Storm Hunter and John-Patrick Smith against Jakub Mensik and Barbora Krejcikova.

Brisbane International Updates

Thanasis Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios (Australia) advanced to the Round of 16 in the Brisbane International doubles tournament. They defeated Australian Matt Ebden and American Rajeev Ram with a score of 5–7, 6–4, [10–8]. The pair is scheduled to play against French duo Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul in the next round.

Kokkinakis commented on their return to play: "First of all, thank you to everyone for coming out... We knew we had quality opponents ... it was always going to be tough, especially since we hadn’t played together for a few years. But once we got out there, it felt like riding a bike. It was a lot of fun. We’ve got great chemistry, and we loved it." Kokkinakis also addressed his recovery from a pectoral muscle injury, noting it was his first match in 12 months: "It’s crazy. I haven’t played a match in 12 months... A lot of times that I thought the game was done for me. It’s doubles, but it means everything."

Kyrgios, playing in his first official tournament in six months, also discussed his and Kokkinakis's injury challenges. "With everything Thanasi has gone through over the last year, and with what I’ve dealt with myself, tennis was almost taken away from both of us," Kyrgios stated. "To come back out here and play at that level was pretty insane ... We both have great memories in Brisbane. I’m just really glad we got the win. It feels good to be back competing and still able to do it at this level — that’s pretty cool."

Nick Kyrgios competed in his first singles match since his return, experiencing a 6-3, 6-4 loss against American world No. 60 Aleksandar Kovacevic at the Brisbane International. During the match, Kyrgios was observed holding his elbow.

Kyrgios's performance in this match is a factor in his eligibility for an Australian Open main draw wildcard. He is scheduled to participate in the Kooyong Classic next week. Kyrgios had previously stated his willingness to play in the qualifying rounds for the Australian Open, conveying a desire to demonstrate his form to himself first and remarking, "I don't want to be that type of player that takes opportunities away from young people that have been really working towards this moment." Three discretionary wildcards are still available for the men’s singles tournament, with former champion Stan Wawrinka being a candidate for one. The remaining two are anticipated for Australian players.