Sydney, Jan 4 (NationPress) Coco Gauff delivered an impressive singles performance, defeating Karolina Muchova, while Taylor Fritz took advantage of the sudden retirement of Tomas Machac, allowing the United States to establish a dominant 2-0 lead over Czechia and clinch a place in the final of the United Cup mixed-teams tennis tournament here on Saturday.
After Gauff initiated her country's semifinal match against Czechia with a commanding victory over Muchova, Machac appeared set to even the score for his team against Fritz. However, while serving for the match at 7-6(4), 5-3, the No. 25 player in the ATP Rankings faltered, losing three consecutive games to World No. 4 Fritz before retiring abruptly due to cramps and left knee discomfort.
“He mentioned that he had been cramping for a couple of games already. I didn’t notice, but yeah,” Fritz stated during his on-court interview as cited by the ATP website. “He was moving quite well, but I guess he was battling through it. It’s really humid in here.
“I thought if I could win that set and push it to a third, it was possible someone might start cramping later on. It’s tough conditions; it was a physical match.”
The United States is now set to face a Polish team featuring Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz in the final on Sunday. Czechia seemed poised to win the men's singles match before the unfortunate injury to Tomas Machac.
After dropping the first three games of the match, Machac regained control, exhibiting aggressive play with moments of flair that put Fritz on the defensive. He earned 10 break points throughout the match, converting two according to Infosys ATP Stats.
However, Fritz managed to break the Czech’s serve at 3-5 in the second set, which proved crucial in their second Lexus ATP Head2Head encounter (the American had triumphed in five sets at Roland Garros in 2020).
As seen in previous matches in Sydney, Czech captain Daniel Vacek attended to his player’s legs during a changeover. Yet, this time it was insufficient to prevent Machac’s retirement.
“It’s fantastic to be back. That was an intense match, very physical, and not the way I prefer to win,” Fritz commented, as reported by the ATP website. “But I think we’re all thrilled to be back in the final once again.”
Earlier, World No. 3 Gauff orchestrated a dominant showing on Saturday, bringing the United States one point away from reaching the United Cup final. Gauff cruised to a 6-1, 6-4 victory over No. 22 Karolina Muchova, improving her record to a perfect 4-0 against the skilled Czech player.
"Facing Karolina is never straightforward," Gauff remarked. "I maintained my intensity and focus throughout the match, which made a significant difference today. I’m pleased to have provided my team with a strong start here in Sydney."
Gauff was prescient when she anticipated the challenge her compatriot Fritz would encounter against Mahac.
The Americans captured the title two years ago in the inaugural edition of this event, with Fritz teaming up with Jessica Pegula to secure the victory.
As they entered Saturday night's showdown at Ken Rosewall Arena, Gauff had never dropped a set to Muchova, winning all six sets played. Displaying no signs of fatigue from her journey from Perth, Gauff started strong and confident. She took less than 10 minutes to establish a 3-0 lead and closed out the first set by saving two break points in her final game.
Gauff held a 4-2 lead in the second set before Muchova found her rhythm and broke the American’s serve for the first time, executing a flawless volley. However, Gauff's baseline defense proved too formidable for Muchova. The Czech player relinquished the break with an unforced error, allowing Gauff to serve out the 90-minute match.
