Argentina delivered a surprising upset at the United Cup on Saturday, defeating host nation Australia 2-1 in a thrilling Group F encounter at the Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney.
Despite World No. 9 Alex de Minaur’s dominant performance against Tomas Martin Etcheverry, where he secured a swift 6-1, 6-4 victory to level the tie, Australia couldn’t capitalize on the momentum. Earlier, Olivia Gadecki fell to Nadia Podoroska 6-2, 6-4 in the opening women’s singles rubber.
The decisive mixed doubles match saw Etcheverry return to the court alongside Maria Carle. The Argentine duo overcame Australia’s Matt Ebden and Ellen Perez with a convincing 6-2, 6-4 win, sealing the overall victory for Argentina and leaving the home crowd stunned.
In Group D action, Switzerland edged past France with a 2-1 victory. Former Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic showcased her return to form by defeating Chloe Paquet 6-3, 6-1, winning 10 of the last 11 games. Although teammate Dominic Stricker was defeated 6-3, 7-5 by Ugo Humbert in the men’s singles clash, Bencic teamed up with Stricker in the mixed doubles decider. The Swiss pair triumphed over Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Elixane Lechemia 6-1, 7-6(4), clinching the win for Switzerland.
Meanwhile, in Group A held in Perth, Canada emerged victorious over Croatia with a 2-1 scoreline. Leylah Fernandez set the tone with a commanding 6-4, 6-3 win against Donna Vekic. However, Canada’s momentum was checked when Felix Auger-Aliassime fell to Borna Coric 0-6, 6-4, 6-4. The tie was decided in the mixed doubles, where Auger-Aliassime and Fernandez redeemed themselves by defeating Lucija Ciric Bagaric and Ivan Dodig 6-3, 6-4, securing the overall victory for Canada.
The United Cup continues to deliver exciting matches as teams battle for supremacy in this prestigious mixed-gender team competition.
Reference(s):
De Minaur wins but host Australia falls to Argentina at United Cup
cgtn.com
