Hurkacz, Swiatek guide Poland to opening victory in Perth

Top seed Poland is up and running at the United Cup.

Hubert Hurkacz gave his country an unassailable 2-0 lead against Brazil on Saturday night in Perth when he earned a comeback 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-3 victory against Thiago Seyboth Wild in two hours and 24 minutes.

Earlier, Iga Swiatek moved Poland 1-0 ahead when she clinched a 6-2, 6-2 win against Beatriz Haddad Maia in her first match of the 2024 season. Following their singles wins, Swiatek and Hurkacz returned to court to secure a 3-0 clean sweep for Poland in Group A with a 6-4, 6-3 mixed doubles win against Haddad Maia and Marcelo Melo.

Hurkacz was not at his free-flowing best on serve against Seyboth Wild, winning 75 per cent (39/52) of his first-serve points in the match. However, the World No. 9 found good depth on return at key moments, earning five breaks of serve to triumph.

Hurkacz, who won titles in Marseille and Shanghai in 2023, went 26-6 against players outside the Top 50 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings last season. He will look to remain unbeaten in the new season when he meets Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Monday.

World No.1 Swiatek enjoyed a victorious start to her 2024 season, defeating World No. 11 Haddad Maia.

Saturday's match was not only a rematch of last year's French Open semi-final, but it also pit two extended winning streaks against each other. Swiatek and Haddad Maia finished their 2023 campaigns with unbeaten runs. Swiatek reeled off 11 consecutive wins to capture the China Open and WTA Finals to finish the year at No. 1. Haddad Maia took the title at the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai and extended her streak to seven after defeating Sara Sorribes Tormo on Day 1 at the United Cup.

In their third career meeting, Swiatek took control from the start and did not let up. Haddad Maia held serve to open the match before Swiatek ran off five consecutive games with her relentless baseline pressure and closed the set two games later.

Haddad Maia amplified her aggression in the second set and was rewarded by her first three break points of the match. But Swiatek dismissed them all with pinpoint serving to open a 4-1 lead. The Brazilian finally broke serve with a perfectly timed backhand winner to close the gap at 4-2. Swiatek responded by winning eight of the next 10 points to seal the victory after one hour and 18 minutes.

Swiatek and Hurkacz later teamed to complete a Polish clean sweep in Perth by notching a 6-4, 6-3 mixed doubles triumph against Haddad Maia and Marcelo Melo. The pair is now 3-0 in doubles matches together at the United Cup, where Poland reached the semi-finals in 2023.

The winner of Poland and Spain on Monday will advance to the quarter-finals. Brazil finishes Group A action holding a 0-2 record, having lost to Spain in its first tie on Friday.