United Cup: De Minaur's Winning Streak Continues, But Argentina Shocks Australia in Opener
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Sydney, Dec 28 (NationPress) Alex de Minaur upheld his success at the United Cup, putting Australia ahead in their opening contest. Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain as Argentina shocked the home team with a 2-1 victory in the mixed-gender team event held here on Saturday, complicating Australia's pursuit of their inaugural title in the tournament.
Nadia Podoroska, the 2020 Roland Garros semifinalist, began the tie with a determined performance, securing a 6-2, 6-4 triumph over Olivia Gadecki to give Argentina a 1-0 advantage. De Minaur then leveled the match by defeating Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-1, 6-4, setting up a decisive mixed doubles showdown.
Displaying near perfection, De Minaur's performance set the stage for a crucial mixed doubles encounter in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Yet, Maria Lourdes Carle and Etcheverry responded strongly, overcoming the Australian duo of Matthew Ebden and Ellen Perez with a 6-2, 6-4 victory, sealing the win for Argentina and diminishing the Australians' hopes of lifting their first trophy at this mixed-team competition.
During the second set, with the score at 4-3, the Australian team intensified their efforts, achieving a 0/40 advantage and four consecutive break points against Carle's serve. However, the WTA’s World No. 94 maintained her composure, successfully holding her serve to escape the crisis. While Etcheverry and Carle showcased resilience at pivotal moments, Ebden and Perez struggled to reach their usual high level, faltering on significant points.
Despite the Australian crowd's support, the Argentine team also had a lively contingent of fans. "Super happy. It's our first time playing together, and I trust him," said Carle. "I was like, 'Okay, let's do it and let's have fun.' And we did. I think we played very well with a lot of energy. That was our goal today."
Earlier in the tie, De Minaur cruised past Etcheverry 6-1, 6-4, giving his team a fighting chance in the Group F match.
“I think just being back here in Sydney [helped]. I love it here,” De Minaur remarked. “I enjoy competing here. I get to play in front of friends, family, and my home crowd, so what better way to kick off the new season?”
With this latest match, De Minaur improves to 5-2 in singles at the United Cup. In 2023, he triumphed over Rafael Nadal at this event, and in the 2024 edition, he claimed victories against three Top 10 players, including Novak Djokovic. This win was particularly satisfying for De Minaur, as Etcheverry had previously defeated him in their ATP head-to-head series at Roland Garros in 2023.
Unfazed by the earlier loss, De Minaur effectively utilized his backhand down the line in crucial moments, winning 88% of his first-serve points, as per Infosys ATP Stats, and did not face a single break point.
In the earlier women’s singles match, Podoroska, currently ranked 100th in the WTA Rankings, aimed to quiet the enthusiastic home crowd by breaking Gadecki in her opening service game. The 27-year-old maintained her serve flawlessly before orchestrating a second break, leading 5-2 and ultimately serving out the set. Gadecki, 22, rebounded early in the second set, having made her Top 100 debut in September after an impressive run to her first Hologic WTA Tour final in Guadalajara.
After being broken to fall behind 2-1 in the second set, Gadecki regrouped to create her first break-point opportunity of the night, which she converted to level the set at 2-2. Following a series of breaks, the set reached 4-4 before Podoroska clinched the final break of the night to lead 5-4, ultimately serving out the victory. In total, Podoroska created seven break points against Gadecki’s serve, converting five, while Gadecki managed just three break chances.
